1. The Los Angeles Lakers are deeper than the Brooklyn Nets
Star power can only take you so far and it mostly helps when a team is facing another team that does not have star power. The Lakers have star power. Sure, they may only have two superstars, but those two superstars and nearly impossible to guard and are a complete nightmare matchup.
When we get past the superstars for both teams it is clear that the Los Angeles Lakers have the deeper team. The Nets do have some solid role players and they are not completely blown out here, but the Lakers still have the advantage.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dennis Schroder form a solid backcourt that can play at a really high level if everything is firing. Just look at their performance on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks. If the Lakers get that level of guard play then that is really tough for Brooklyn to handle.
Montrezl Harrell is a bully off the bench that is going to get 12-15 points per night in the playoffs. Kyle Kuzma, albeit frustrating, has talent, Alex Caruso is an elite defensive player, Talen Horton-Tucker is solid both ways, Marc Gasol still adds depth and defense and the likes of Markieff Morris and Ben McLemore add bench shooting.
The Nets have Joe Harris, who is fantastic, but that is really it. DeAndre Jordan is old and not playing as well (like Gasol). Blake Griffin is a big name but has not taken a big step up in Brooklyn. Nicolas Claxton, Jeff Green, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Bruce Bowen are all worse than what the Lakers have on their bench.
And we did not even mention Andre Drummond, who not only gives the Los Angeles Lakers more depth but brings a different dynamic as well.