Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors: 3 Predictions and a series pick

Anthony Davis will have to dominate for the Lakers to win

Let’s be clear. If the Los Angeles Lakers are going to win this series, they’re going to need LeBron James to play at an extremely high level and they’re going to need Anthony Davis to dominate his individual matchups. That may be easier said than done. But that’s what it’s going to ultimately take for the Lakers to dethrone the defending NBA champions in a seven-game series.

In the Lakers’ first-round series win, AD averaged 21 points and 14 rebounds on 49 percent shooting from the field. They’re going to need more of that against the high-powered Golden State Warriors, and perhaps even more. And I predict that AD will once again come through for the Lakers.

But the NBA Playoffs are where stars are supposed to rise to the occasion. And I think this is where you ultimately trust the team’s star power of AD and LeBron. The Lakers worked all season long to simply get in a position like this, where they can lean on their dynamic duo. The question is whether LeBron and AD can finish the job.

We know LeBron is likely going to come through for the team as he’s done time and time throughout his career. The question is, will AD step up (and can he remain healthy) for one more series?