The Los Angeles Lakers are viewed as the favorites to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals with a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets looming large as the most likely NBA Finals matchup.
While the Lakers certainly have certain advantages against the Nets if the two teams were to square off in the NBA Finals, there would be some uncertainty in the matchup for LA. At the end of the day, Brooklyn does have the better superstar trio, as Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving are better than LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.
Brooklyn now has a problem that the Lakers do not have, though. The team could be without one of its top stars in Kyrie Irving, and right now, there seems to be no timetable for Kyrie’s return.
Due to a local COVID-19 mandate, Irving would have been unable to play in any home games for the Brooklyn Nets this season. Additionally, Irving would not have even been able to play the Los Angeles Lakers at all in a potential NBA Finals as there are similar local mandates in LA as well.
Instead of having Kyrie play only away games where he is eligible, the Nets ultimately decided that he will be away from the team entirely until he is able to play home games with the local mandates. No practicing. No road games. Not even a conversation with James Harden.
https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1448356729918562312
Kyrie Irving’s decision only increases the Los Angeles Lakers’ title chances
Personal stance on vaccinations aside, there is no arguing that this makes the road easier for the Los Angeles Lakers, who Rob Pelinka confirmed will be 100% vaccinated by opening night. The Lakers not only do not have to worry about one of their star players eventually joining the team or not but they do not have to deal with the media headache as well.
The Nets really do seem to be the only team on the Los Angeles Lakers’ level as well. Some may argue that the Milwaukee Bucks are on that level as well but I would disagree. While the Bucks had a great run to win the championship and deserve all the credit in the world, two weeks before they won the title all the pundits were complaining about how poorly coached the team was and how the team lacked depth.
The Bucks did not get much deeper and the coach is still the same. It could be the exact same Bucks team heading into the 2021-22 season and if Kevin Durant’s toes weren’t on the three-point line then nobody would be considering them on the same level as the Lakers and Nets.
I am keeping that same energy.
Of course, anything can happen and there is even the potential for the Westbrook experiment to blow up in the team’s face. But on paper, the Lakers are in their own contending tier with the Nets. The Bucks are in tier 1B and tier 2 consists of teams like the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers.
If the Lakers are fully healthy and are as good as we think they can be then none of those teams are going to beat the Lakers in a playoff series.
The only team that could beat a full-strength Los Angeles Lakers team in the NBA Finals is a full-strength Brooklyn Nets team — which might not even be a thing this season.