4 Teams that are worse than the Lakers despite their records

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are leading the Western Conference on the morning of March 15, but it is a young group with limited playoff experience. Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead them on a deep playoff run after three years of being in the lottery? They are loaded with talent but are no match for the Lakers.

Oklahoma City cannot stop Anthony Davis and Los Angeles’ size. Chet Holmgren is a future star, but he is still too skinny to handle the NBA’s biggest players. It allows AD to feast. The Lakers have won three of the four meetings this season and are a nightmare opponent for the Thunder in the playoffs.

Playoff experience matters. Few teams win in their first postseason opportunity. It takes even the all-time great players years and multiple failures to scale the mountain. There should be plenty of skepticism about the Thunder in the playoff and facing the Lakers is something Oklahoma City is rooting against.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be a problem if they can make the playoffs. It won’t be easy coming through the Play-In Tournament but do not be shocked to witness another deep run. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are a proven championship duo, and the Lakers are significantly better than their record would indicate.