Why the Los Angeles Lakers would easily handle the Suns in round 1

By Jason Reed | May 13, 2021

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 09: Mikal Bridges #25 of the Phoenix Suns shoots againsst Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #1 and Talen Horton-Tucker #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Staples Center on May 9, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

It is almost a guarantee at this point that the Los Angeles Lakers are going to be participating in the play-in tournament to get into the NBA Playoffs. As the seventh seed, the Lakers will be playing the Golden State Warriors in a double-elimination tournament for those two teams.

If the Lakers win that matchup then they will be the true seventh seed in the playoffs. If the Warriors win then the Lakers will be playing for the eighth seed against the winner of the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs.

While it still could flip, the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns are the one and two seed in the Western Conference, respectively. The Suns should hope that the Warriors beat the Lakers or that they somehow surpass Utah for one simple reason.

The Los Angeles Lakers would handle the Phoenix Suns easily in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

This is a terrible matchup for the Suns. For what it’s worth, it is not a great matchup for the Utah Jazz, either.

After not making the playoff for a decade, the Suns’ reward for playing good basketball and finishing as the second seed could be a first-round exit at the hands of the defending champions.

Sometimes that is how the cookie crumbles and if this is indeed the matchup, assuming the Lakers are healthy, then that is exactly what is going to happen.

Let’s break down why.

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