Los Angeles Lakers: 3 reasons why a first-round playoff exit is a real possibility

Why the Los Angeles Lakers could suffer an early playoff exit: The Denver Nuggets are really good and might have the best player in basketball

I hate to state the obvious, but one big reason why the Lakers could be on the verge of an early playoff exit revolves around the fact that the Denver Nuggets, who they will likely face in the first round of the playoffs, is a really good basketball team. They also happen to have arguably the league MVP and possibly the hottest player in basketball in Nikola Jokic.

Even though the Nuggets lost Jamal Murray for the remainder of the season due to injury, this team is still one of the most talented teams in basketball and if Jokic is going to be considered one of the best players in the world, this is how it’s going to happen – by dethroning the defending champions.

While the Lakers are good enough where if they don’t make it to at least the NBA Finals, it will largely be because of their own doing or the unfortunateness of injury, let’s also not discount the Nuggets. This team was on the heels of the NBA Finals last season and has improved since then over the last couple of weeks (despite Murray’s injury).