The Los Angeles Lakers were viewed as one of the top teams in the Western Conference before the start of this season.
However, with less than 20 games left to play, the Lakers are fighting for a spot in the playoffs.
Despite the Lakers currently being in a Play-In Tournament spot, many have high expectations from the team come playoff time.
A key reason behind that confidence is the fact that the Lakers have defeated multiple above .500 teams in the West, including the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers.
But if there is one team that can arguably cut the Lakers’ run short in the postseason, it’s none other than the Denver Nuggets.
NBA analyst Justin Termine recently made this claim via SiriusXM NBA Radio on Twitter.
“Outside of Denver, the Lakers really match up well against the top of the West,” Termine said.
“Lakers kind of match up pretty well against [the Thunder, Clippers & TWolves]”
@TermineRadio tells @JumpShot8 why he thinks the Nuggets are the only big threat in the West for the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/aBrDqLujH0— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) March 6, 2024
The Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Clippers, and Nuggets are expected to finish as the top-four seeds in the Western Conference this season.
Despite being a lower seed, the Lakers have won their season series against the Clippers and Thunder.
While they may have lost the season series against both the Nuggets and Timberwolves, the former is undoubtedly an expert at exploiting the Lakers’ weaknesses.
The likes of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. always seem to bring their A-game when facing off against the Lakers.
Even in the 2023 playoffs, the Lakers looked in great form before facing the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
The 17-time NBA champions were swept as the Nuggets won four straight games against the Lakers.
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