Over the past few weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers have found a strong rhythm in their play, establishing themselves as one of the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference. With their spot in the playoffs nearly secured, the focus now shifts to their seeding and potential first-round opponents. On this topic, a former NBA player shared a word of caution.
“If you’re the Lakers, I think the objective was obviously to get the highest possible seed,” Chandler Parsons said on Run It Back. “But I think it’s too early for the Lakers to start trying to pick their matchups and stuff because that can end up haunting you.”
The former Houston Rockets small forward went on to assess the Lakers’ potential playoff adversaries. “Look below: if you get too high, congrats, you get a healthy Kawhi Leonard and James Harden and Norman Powell at the Clippers,” he explained, emphasizing that a potential showdown between the Los Angeles teams would pose a significant challenge.
“Or you get Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, and they’re starting to kind of figure it out with Julius Randle back in the lineup,” he added, noting Minnesota’s growing strength. “So, I think it’s way too early to start trying to pick your matchups. I think it’s way too early to start looking ahead in the seedings.”
Chandler Parsons playing with the Houston Rockets against the New York Knicks at the Toyota Center on November 23, 2012
Lakers vs. Warriors?
With the current standings in the Western Conference, the first round of the playoffs could set the stage for an exciting matchup: the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers facing the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors. “Would this be an awesome series? Yeah, of course,” Parsons acknowledged. “They’re two of the most historic franchises. Talking Steph Curry, LeBron James — like, this would be unbelievable. Selfishly, I almost want it later in the postseason.”
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Also weighing in on the potential matchup was Lou Williams, who shared his thoughts on the matter. “The best thing you can do is just be prepared for whatever, and I think that’s what the Lakers have done a great job of doing,” he said. “You see the stretch of games that they’ve had — they’re ready for whatever. Whether it’s the Warriors, whomever you line them up against, they’ve been playing great basketball.”
The former Sixth Man of the Year also praised the Warriors. “The Warriors on the flip side have been playing great basketball,” Williams said. “These are two championship caliber basketball teams. You got a LeBron James-led team and you have a Steph Curry-led team. Both guys who have championships under their belt and they’re used to having rough schedules.”
LeBron and Curry in the playoffs
Throughout their careers, LeBron James and Stephen Curry have squared off numerous times in high-stakes games. The two superstars famously faced off in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, with the Golden State Warriors winning three championships and the Cleveland Cavaliers claiming one.
However, their paths have only crossed once in previous playoff rounds. That occurred in the 2022-23 season Western Conference semifinals, where Golden State defeated the Sacramento Kings in the first round, and LeBron James’ Lakers overcame the Memphis Grizzlies.
In that head-to-head matchup, it was James who came out on top. The Lakers triumphed in six games, eliminating the then-defending champions. However, their playoff run was short-lived, as they were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals.
