As the regular season inches towards its end and the LA Lakers, having won 9 out of their 10 last games, work their way towards a higher playoff seed, an NBA champion has shared his predictions for the team.

During a recent appearance on the No Fouls Given Show, Celtics Legend Paul Pierce shared his forecast for the Lakers, and it did seem grim, for lack of a better word.

"If they have to play Timberwolves, Nuggets, Rockets, I don’t think they can beat any of these three teams. I don’t think they will make it out of the first round," Pierce said.

Although Pierce's take might seem unlikely given the impressive run that the Lakers have been on, one just has to look at the stats to understand why the athlete-turned-media personality feels that way.

The Stats Justify Paul Pierce's Forecast

While the LA Lakers are third in the Western Conference and hold a place in the top 10 in offensive rating for the season, they aren't even in the top 20 when it comes to defense.

This disparity is what backs Pierce's bold prediction, as the Rockets, Timberwolves, and Nuggets all outrank the Lakers in defensive measures this season. 

Moreover, one of them will most probably be the first-round opponents based on how things have been going so far.

A more detailed look at the LA Lakers' defense reveals that they've been conceding 115.3 points per game and hold an overall rank of 21 in the league in the defensive rating.

This shows how often they have struggled to confine their opponents.

Their defensive setbacks have also been flagged by many other analysts who have echoed opinions similar to Paul Pierce.

Pierce, in the same podcast appearance, also stated that LeBron James and Luka Doncic weren't a good fit, calling the King a defensive liability.

"Luka and LeBron’s skill sets are too repetitive with each other. It doesn’t mix and match," Pierce said.

He continued, “And then being a liability on defense at the age of 41, it just is like, it just is what it is, and this isn't taking anything away from LeBron's greatness, but you have to have a certain team built around Luka, and LeBron doesn't fit that mold."

And while only time will tell whether the LA Lakers prove Paul Pierce wrong or justify his doubts, one thing is for sure. The playoff stage is set for one of the most gripping postseason matchups this year. 

Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles!

Written by

Utsav Sinha