The Los Angeles Lakers bowed out of NBA playoffs as they were swept by the Denver Nuggets. This is the first time a healthy duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James have faced defeat in the Playoffs. The Nuggets simply did not allow the Lakers to settle down and won the first four matches to win the Conference crown.
Not many teams have been this dominant against the Lakers ever since LeBron and AD have started playing together in 2019.
After their 113-111 loss in Game 4, LeBron James spoke about the series and felt that the Nuggets were the best team that they faced after joining forces with Anthony Davis back in 2019. He praised the Nuggets and felt that they are a very well-orchestrated team with every aspect doing their job.
“If not the best, probably the best team that we’ve played since we’ve been together for our four years. Just well-orchestrated, well put together. They have scoring… Shooting, they have playmaking,” LeBron said after their Game 4 defeat.
LeBron and Davis lost to Phoenix Suns in round 1 of the Playoffs in 2021 but there Davis went down with a groin injury when the Lakers were 2-1 up at that moment. However, they lost that series but Nuggets won against the Lakers when both their superstars were active and healthy.
Before that, the duo won the Lakers the Championship in 2020. They did defeat all the teams in five games to win the Western Conference. In that process, they also defeated a younger Denver Nuggets team.
This season also they punched above their weight and outplayed Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks and Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors to reach the conference finals. Overall, it was a great run from the Lakers given their condition at the start of the season.
The Lakers tried improving their roster at the trade deadline but it was not enough to help them win the Championship. With LeBron James turning 40 next season, the window is closing down and now even LeBron may look elsewhere if he wants.
He has two years in his contract and has a player option at the end of the 2023-24 season where he could opt out and be a free agent. But it seems like the Lakers will try for the Championship again next season by building a better roster around LeBron and AD.
