Los Angeles Lakers
X-factor: Kyle Kuzma
Kyle Kuzma has been the undisputed wild card of the Los Angeles Lakers all season and when he has flashed, he’s made Los Angeles a tour-de-force offensively. When he hasn’t, Lebron and Anthony Davis have somewhat managed to supply enough offensive productivity as a duo to surpass their oppositions and pile up an array of victories for the team.
The latter could possibly serve as a somewhat feasible formula to survive the opening round of the West playoffs. Beyond that, there’s more than likely little to no guarantee such a formula will tread turbulent waters. The Lakers desperately need their former first-round pick to live up to the third scoring option billing he’s been dubbed begrudgingly throughout the season.
This starts with his ability to make the open shot opportunities he is presented with and to be more assertive as a driver of the basketball. If Kyle is able to provide a somewhat steady point output of 13-15 per game in the postseason, the Lakers have a reasonable chance to come out of the conference.
LA Clippers
X-factor: Reggie Jackson
The importance of a backup point guard for the LA Clippers reigned supreme when the team made it an objective to address around the trade deadline. The Reggie Jackson pickup wasn’t the most enlightening during the pre-bubble regular season, but within the bubble, the league saw Jackson get an uptick in minutes and more opportunities to showcase his play.
Jackson has a well-renowned tendency to be very erratic with his decision makings as a lead guard. Yet, in a role as a second-team band leader opposite Lou Williams, Jackson’s ability to be an avid contributor within the Clipper’s deep bench will do more wonders than what others may realize.