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The Phoenix Suns will end their decade-long postseason drought by taking on the LA Lakers in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Both teams have championship aspirations and boast of squads that could beat any team on a given day.
The Phoenix Suns built on their 8-0 bubble run last year by adding the savvy Chris Paul via trade and veteran Jae Crowder in free agency. Monty Williams' men got off to a patchy start this season, but things started to click and the Suns went a combined 35-10 from February to April. The Pacific Division champs finished just one win short of claiming the top seed in the West.
By comparison, the LA Lakers hit top gear from the get-go and were the team to beat in the early months of the 2020-21 season. But Lady Luck frowned upon Frank Vogel's unit and both LeBron James and Anthony Davis had to miss considerable time due to injuries.
The Lakers were in free fall for the majority of April and somehow stumbled into the play-in tournament where they beat the Golden State Warriors to secure the seventh seed.
Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers Series Schedule
- Game 1: Lakers at Suns | Phoenix Suns Arena | Sunday, May 23rd, 3:30 PM ET
- Game 2: Lakers at Suns | Phoenix Suns Arena | Tuesday, May 25th, 10 PM ET
- Game 3: Suns at Lakers | Staples Center | Thursday, May 27th, 10 PM ET
- Game 4: Suns at Lakers | Staples Center | Sunday, May 30th, 3:30 PM ET
- Game 5*: Lakers at Suns | Phoenix Suns Arena | Tuesday, June 1st, TBD
- Game 6*: Suns at Lakers | Staples Center | Thursday, June 3rd, TBD
- Game 7*: Lakers at Suns | Phoenix Suns Arena | Saturday, June 5th, TBD
* If necessary
Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers Regular Season Head-to-Head Record
The Phoenix Suns held the advantage over the LA Lakers during the regular-season mini-series. The Suns won the two matchups that took place in March, while the Lakers claimed victory in the one that took place on May 9.
It was mostly a case of team effort for the Phoenix Suns, with no player scoring more than 26 points in an individual outing. Chris Paul dictated proceedings for his side and averaged 11 assists through these three games. Anthony Davis went off in the only matchup that the LA Lakers won, recording 42 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
The Phoenix Suns managed to keep the LA Lakers at bay during the regular season. But it must be noted that both LeBron James and AD only featured once in the three-game mini-series, and that too on separate occasions.
Phoenix Suns' strengths heading into the playoffs
The Phoenix Suns are a well-oiled machine on both ends of the court. They're just one of the four NBA franchises this season to feature within the top 10 in both offensive (seventh) and defensive (sixth) ratings.
Led by Chris Paul, the Suns are simply an efficiency machine, committing just 12.5 turnovers (fourth) per game while shooting at 49% (second) from the field. They also racked up 26.9 assists per game, the third-best record in the league.
Outside of the stats, the Phoenix Suns' spacing and depth are simply unmatched. Aside from Deandre Ayton, every single player on their roster can pop up for a three-pointer. They barely have any defensive liability on their team either. Devin Booker has also shown commitment towards defending better this season.
LA Lakers' strengths heading into the playoffs
Most of the LA Lakers' strengths are on the defensive end of their game. Despite missing LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the majority of the season, the LA Lakers managed to have the best-rated defense in the league all year long.
Except for Montrezl Harrell, every other Laker has the ability to irritate his matchup by playing clamp-down defense and closing out space quickly. Dennis Schroder is the only player in the LA Lakers' starting lineup shorter than 6'5 and the size advantage definitely comes in handy.
The LA Lakers are among the top five teams in the league while protecting the paint and the perimeter. They average 5.4 blocks per game while only allowing their opponents to shoot at 32.2% from downtown.
Phoenix Suns' weaknesses heading into the playoffs
The biggest shortcoming of the Phoenix Suns' current roster is that they simply lack size underneath the rim. Deandre Ayton has improved a bit this season, but he has also lacked the needed physicality to deal with stronger big men. The Suns simply couldn't control Davis in the only game he played against them this year.
Lack of playoff experience could also hold the Phoenix Suns back. Chris Paul and Jae Crowder are the only two players who have featured in a considerable number of postseason games. While this alone does not undercut the quality that the likes of Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges possess, it's quite easy to get cold feet in crunch playoff situations.
LA Lakers' weaknesses heading into the playoffs
The LA Lakers were the third-worst team in the league in terms of committing turnovers. Frank Vogel's men have a habit of feeling out their opponents in the early stages of the game and they tend to be casual with possession. They've also been guilty of lacking energy during the first two quarters in several matchups.
The LA Lakers have one of the best perimeter defenses in the league, but they're barely able to give themselves the edge due to their own inability to shoot from distance. The Purple and Gold do not have a single player who can drop four or five three-pointers regularly. They shoot the ball at just 35.4% from downtown, which puts them among the worst 10 teams in the NBA in this category.
Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers Series Prediction
Both the Phoenix Suns and LA Lakers are well-coached teams who could easily make a championship run. In fact, this matchup is worthy of a bigger stage such as the Western Conference Finals. So expect this series to run into at least six games.
Even though the two sides seem even on paper, the Phoenix Suns' weaknesses play directly into the hands of the LA Lakers. Monty Williams' men struggled to deal with the size and physicality of Anthony Davis when he featured alone. Their problems will only be compounded when both LeBron James and AD take to the court together.
The sheer quality of Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges, coupled with the tactical sharpness of Chris Paul, will allow the Phoenix Suns to win a few games. But the overall dominance of LeBron and AD, supplemented by the hustle of other role players on both ends of the court, should see the LA Lakers through in this series.
Also read: Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers Series Prediction & Preview | Round 1, 2021 NBA Playoffs
