'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The NBA is just weeks away from resuming, and teams have begun arriving at the bubble. As per the current standings, the LA Lakers are the top seed in the West while the Grizzlies are the eighth seed.
Teams also invited to the bubble from the West are the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns. All of these teams will fight for a playoff spot to match up against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.
LA Lakers - the team to beat all season
The LA Lakers, who have been the top seed in the West for just about the whole season, were starting to play even better before the break. It will be interesting to see if they can pick up from where they left off or if they take some time to get into their groove. The LA Lakers have a winning record against the six teams that will be fighting for the eighth spot, but that doesn't mean they won't care who they face.
Teams like the Kings, Suns and Spurs would most likely be beaten by LA Lakers in four or five games because of the absence of superstars in their ranks. The Lakers would love to see one of these three teams make the eighth spot, but it is unlikely to happen.
The most likely teams LA Lakers could face are the Grizzlies, Trail Blazers and Pelicans. These three teams hold the 8-10 seeds and are in a good position to potentially make the playoffs. Among these teams, who should the LA Lakers want to face?
Memphis Grizzlies have been led by the potential rookie of the year Ja Morant. The Grizzlies are a very young team with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr leading the team. The Lakers are 3-1 against the Grizzlies this year, and two of the wins came by double-digit scorelines.
This matchup could be an exciting one in the first round. But the LA Lakers have enough quality and experience in their ranks for this young team, and the series is unlikely to go beyond five games.
It would be a first-time experience for most Grizzlies players, including Morant, in the playoffs. In that regard, going up against Le Bron James and LA Lakers could be a step too far for them.
Portland Trail Blazers, however, could present the most problems for LA Lakers in the first round. The Blazers have a superstar in Damian Lillard and are a formidable team when they have no injury concerns, a reason why they haven't already locked into a playoff spot.
The COVID-19 pandemic break has allowed the Blazers to get healthy just in time for the playoffs. The backcourt of the Blazers is one of the best in the NBA and could be a handful for the LA Lakers, especially if Rondo can't return for the series.
Lillard is a guy who can drop 50 on any given night and is surrounded by players like CJ McCollum and Carmelo Anthony who are proven scorers in the NBA. This series would be a great one to watch, and every game is likely to be close. The Trail Blazers are a scary proposition to face in the first round for the top seed in the West, but I would still expect the LA Lakers to win the series in six games.
The New Orleans Pelicans seem to be the most likely team to make the eighth seed and deservingly so. Of course, the hype around Zion Williamson hasn't been seen since Le Bron James arrived in the NBA. There may not be any better way to make a playoff debut for Williamson than doing it against James himself.
The Pelicans are also a very young team but seem to have a bit more depth and scoring than the Grizzlies. Brandon Ingram cemented himself this season as an all-star player and can pout up 25 points a night come playoff time.
With him and Zion Williamson leading the way in terms of scoring, they would both be tough matchups to guard for the LA Lakers. The Pelicans also have Lonzo Ball and veteran guard Jrue Holiday who form one of the best defensive backcourts in the NBA. Ball is an elite passer and has a high IQ for the game.
The lack of experience, however, could hurt the Pelicans. In this respect, overcoming the LA Lakers who have a roster full of playoff experience could be a tough proposition. This matchup could be one of the toughest ones for the LA Lakers in the first round, but I don't see this series going beyond six games.
It's tough to pick a team that the LA Lakers wouldn't want to face being the number one seed. The Lakers have been the best team in the West all season so you can't pick any team to upset them in the first round.
It will be very interesting to see which team ends the season as the eighth seed and regardless of the opposition for the LA Lakers, an exciting series is in store.
