The Los Angeles Lakers have shot up the Western Conference standings over the past month of the NBA season as they have been one of the hottest teams in the league.
Of course, their addition of Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline has played a key role in the Lakers' recent success but other players on the roster have also stepped up, especially with LeBron James sidelined due to a groin injury.
Los Angeles currently sits third in the West standing with a 43-25 record and they sit just one game behind the Houston Rockets for the second seed.
Despite this, the Lakers also sit just one game ahead of the fifth place Memphis Grizzlies so they will need to finish the regular season strong if they want to maintain their spot in the standings.
On Thursday's episode of ESPN's First Take, former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Jay Williams gave his thoughts on why the Lakers need to go for the second seed in the West if they want to make a deep playoff run.
"I am avoiding OKC at all costs until we get to the Western Conference finals," Williams said. "I'm trying to avoid (Denver) too."
"I am avoiding OKC at all costs until we get to the Western Conference finals. ... I'm trying to avoid [Denver] too."
-@RealJayWilliams on why the Lakers should go for the No. 2 seed in the West pic.twitter.com/AA21ZhoXzc
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 20, 2025
Most teams will look to avoid the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round due to them being arguably the best team in the NBA, but Williams also mentioned the Nuggets as a team the Lakers should avoid.
Of course, Denver has had the Lakers' number over the past few seasons and with MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic leading the way along with a great veteran core of Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets look like a contender once again this season.
Denver has struggled recently as Jokic and Murray have missed time due to injury, but if their core is fully healthy once the playoffs begin, they may be the biggest threat to the Thunder in the West and one that the Lakers will want to avoid early in the playoffs if they want to make another championship run.
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This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 4:27 PM.