Despite all of the injuries, the Los Angeles Lakers are still the favorites to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. However, they are no longer the favorites to win the title and go back-to-back.
The new betting favorites are the Brooklyn Nets, who have the most starpower in the league after trading for James Harden this season. As the old saying goes, superstars win championships and the Nets have the most superstars in the league.
That does not seem to matter to Dennis Schroder and the Lakers, though. The Lakers just notably had a huge upset over the Nets that Schroder called the best win all year. Schroder is at it again, giving a hilarious response to a viewer who commented “Nets in four” in a recent live stream. Take a look:
Save to say that Dennis Schroder is not worried about the Brooklyn Nets and definitely knows that the Nets would not sweep the Los Angeles Lakers in a potential NBA Finals matchup.
Is Dennis Schroder wrong? Should the Los Angeles Lakers be worried about the Brooklyn Nets?
Of course, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to respect the Brooklyn Nets if they meet in the NBA Finals and are not going to take the team lightly. But based on Schroder’s response, I think it is safe to say that the Lakers are confident in themselves to perhaps be the ones to win in four.
Typically, I would say that the Nets should be favored in a potential NBA Finals matchup and that the Lakers would be the underdogs solely because of the injuries the team has suffered this year and the inability to play together as much as they would prefer.
However, the Nets are dealing with the exact same issues. Kevin Durant has dealt with a myriad of injuries, Kyrie Irving has missed some time and James Harden just had a setback in his hamstring recovery.
MORE: Dennis Schroder shows fatal flaw in loss to Dallas
The Lakers have the advantage as their two superstars have at least played together (and won a championship) before. The Nets’ superstar trio really does not have much playing time together and in an NBA Finals series where we are splitting hairs, that could be the difference.
Plus, it is not a secret that the Lakers have better depth. If Dennis Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope produce the guard-play that they produced Thursday against Dallas it is a wrap and that is before we even talk about Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, or the mismatch that is Andre Drummond.
Dennis Schroder definitely has the right attitude because when we really break it down, it is much more likely that LA would win in four.