After a rough up-and-down season filled with drama and uncertainty, the Los Angeles Lakers have been able to turn things around and now have a chance to make a deep run in the NBA playoffs.
However, the storied NBA franchise must first get through the Minnesota Timberwolves, who LeBron James and company will face on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
Although the Timberwolves are shorthanded with Rudy Gobert suspended and Jaden McDaniels dealing with a fractured hand, the Lakers must be on their game to get the win and advance.
Former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson believes tonight’s game at Crypto.com Arena will be the most important game the Lakers will play in two years.
.@Rjeff24 sees a lot at stake for LA in the play-in 😳
“This is maybe the most important game the Lakers have played in two years.”
(via NBA Today) pic.twitter.com/EdbzY6XMmJ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 11, 2023
Rest for a team with an injury-prone star in Anthony Davis and a 38-year-old superstar in LeBron James is crucial.
Jefferson is correct that the Lakers could use the extra time to prepare for a potentially deep run in the playoffs, but saying it’s the most crucial game in two years is a bit of a stretch.
If the Lakers’ postseason ends sooner rather than later, it could impact the team’s immediate future, as Davis and or James could decide it’s time to move on this summer.
The futures of these two superstars is the reason for its importance in the playoffs this time around, with anything being possible in the offseason.
The next game on the schedule for the Lakers will be the most important in recent memory as it will determine the team’s fate, which is either to advance or go home.
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