The Los Angeles Lakers are proving to be a championship pretender through the first few games of the NBA Playoffs.
Aside from the Oklahoma City Thunder, there was plenty of uncertainty heading into the start of the Western Conference NBA Playoffs. Which team in the West would emerge as the biggest threat to the Thunder? That was very much in question. However, over the last couple of months of the season, many believed that it would be the Los Angeles Lakers that would emerge as that contender.
The Lakers had all the characteristics you look for in a contender. They have the big names with LeBron James and Luka Doncic. They have the hot-shot head coach, J.J. Redick. They even have a better supporting cast than they get credit for. However, through the first three games of the playoffs, the Lakers have been anything but a consistent threat.
After a Game 3 loss, the Lakers find themselves down 2-1 in their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. At least for now, it's hard to label the Lakers as a real championship contender. Even if they find a way to fight back and overcome the Wolves, it's hard to be any kind of confident in how this team has played thus far.
The Lakers are huge pretenders
Through the first three games against the Wolves, the Lakers have one of the worst offenses and defenses. They also have the fourth-worst net rating among playoff teams. To say that Los Angeles has struggled would be an understatement. What's even more concerning is the fact that the Wolves aren't even a top-tier West team in terms of talent.
Sure, Edwards is a rising superstar in the NBA, but it's not like he's going off in this series. He's been good, but he hasn't even had a 30-point game just yet. The combination of Luka and LeBron should be able to overcome Edwards. That hasn't happened in this series, and that has to be alarming for the team.
In theory, the expectation was that the Lakers could emerge as a real threat in the Western Conference. However, the Lakers simply haven't risen to the occasion, and that's a big problem.
As a franchise, the Lakers are built to compete for titles. For one reason or another, this current build is not cutting it. With Luka and LeBron leading the way, that can't be reassuring for this franchise moving forward.