Could the Lakers Upset Oklahoma City in the First Round?
Although the Oklahoma City Thunder has cemented itself as a championship contender in the West, this potential matchup could give it a scare in the first round.
As the NBA playoffs near closer, excitement not seen in years is floating in the Oklahoma City air.
How could there not be?
The Thunder currently hold the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a legitimate chance of bringing home the Most Valuable Player award and the team will enter the playoffs for the first time since 2020 — where it played in a “bubble.” Not to mention the mainstream appeal the franchise is getting as of late, especially during Drake’s Oklahoma City concert where Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren both entered to enormous cheers.
As unexpectedly great as Oklahoma City has been all season, it has all of the tools to make a deep run in the playoffs and potentially even make the finals. It would be a shock for a team so young and perceived at the very beginning of its timeline to already reach that status, but its core has done little to sway that possibility from being eliminated.
That run isn’t going to be easy in a stacked Western Conference group, even down to the Play-In Tournament teams. It could be the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors or the most discussed matchup from the four — the Los Angeles Lakers.
Once again led by the superstar pairing of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers look poised to make another run at the Larry O'Brien trophy, even if the season hasn’t gone according to plan. James and Davis are as good as they’ve always been and D’Angelo Russell has unleashed in the second half of the season, but otherwise, there hasn’t been a lot of consistency in this Los Angeles team.
Still, just the two names at the forefront is enough to make Los Angeles a threat in the playoffs. They won it all in 2020, and even with an aging James and much different looking team, the possibility has to be considered. It’s not an ideal matchup in the first round for any team, especially for one with the lack of experience that the Thunder carries.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been to the playoffs on two occasions, but never as the leader. It will be a huge test for the MVP candidate with newly-added pressure, although he has given zero reason to believe he won’t perform for Oklahoma City. The rest of the roster equally lacks experience, outside of veterans like Gordon Hayward and Mike Muscala.
The Lakers also possess a much more size than the Thunder do. Davis alone at the center position is a nightmare matchup for any team, as well as one that Holmgren has struggled with at times in his rookie year. With 2.4 blocks a game, the 31-year-old is still one of the NBA’s best interior defenders and serves as the anchor for his team. Alongside the likes of James, Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles has a roster full of length and versatility that could pose issues for Oklahoma City.
Looking back on the season series, the Lakers had the clear advantage. They won three out of the four matchups against the Thunder, being one of the few teams in the entire league to have that much of a win-differential over it. It’d be worrisome for Oklahoma City to enter a seven-game series against a team it struggled so much against, but it's a situation it has to be prepared for.
The Thunder can’t be doubted as a solidified championship contender with the ample amount of success it enjoyed throughout the entire season. Talent should trump youth on most occasions, especially when its players like Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Jalen Wiliams at the helm. It can’t coast in the first round in the slightest, however, or else it could fall victim to Los Angeles or another Play-In team.
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