What a murderous man Paul was!
In the first round of the playoffs last season, Paul's Suns played against James-led Lakers. In the end, the Suns eliminated the Lakers 4-2 and advanced to the next round. In the first round of this season's playoffs, the Suns still have a high probability of encountering the Lakers again. The Suns' current record is 41 wins and 10 losses, ranking first in the league. Judging by the suns' stability this season, it is likely to enter the playoffs with the no. 1 record in the West.
Although the Lakers have a combination of the big three of Westbrook, James, and Anthony Davis this season, on the one hand, there are great problems with the run-in of the big three, on the other hand, the team continues to encounter injuries, so the Lakers' current record is only 25 wins and 8 losses, ranking 9th in the West. It is unlikely that this record will go up to the top 6 out of the playoffs, and the probability of falling out of the top ten in the West is not very likely. The Lakers will most likely pass through the playoffs this season and enter the playoffs with the 8th place in the West, still playing against the Suns in the first round.
Recently, Chris Paul was featured on a show with former NBA player Redick, in which Paul talked about his own injuries against the Lakers in the first round of last year's playoffs. Paul said he didn't follow the ball at the time, and he didn't know how the ball was scored when he shot. Paul even mocked the Lakers' defensive strategy on the show. Paul said he was just pretending to be able to shoot: "I played in G2, but I don't know why they're defending me, I can't even shoot. I was just pretending I could still shoot. ”
Realistically speaking, Paul's personal technical and tactical level, as well as his ability to play with the team, is much worse than James's. In these two seasons, Paul's team has been healthier and Paul's teammates have been better. Despite this, the Lakers stumbled into the playoffs and also played 6 games with the Suns. This shows james' power in the playoffs.
Although the Lakers have a high probability of entering overtime through the playoffs this season, as long as James can stay healthy, the Lakers can stay healthy, and meet the Suns in the first round, the Lakers are still very likely to be black 8. After all, at the star level, Paul and Bookerga together are not as good as James. The Lakers' lineup this season is no big problem, but it is plagued by health problems, and the regular season record is so poor.
Once the Lakers' playoff lineup is complete, which team is sure to win James 4 games in 1 series? Do you think the Lakers are facing the Suns in the first round of the playoffs, and James can lead the team to a black 8?