The NBA play-in tournament begins today in the Western Conference. Who will win the Lakers-Pelicans game and have a chance to play the defending champion Nuggets in the first round? And who will avoid elimination: the Kings or Warriors? Our writers make their choice.
1. Lakers vs. Pelicans: Who Wins?
Vincent Goodwill: Lakers. Whenever the Pelicans played the Lakers in a high-stakes game, Zion Williamson would not show up and his teammates would follow suit. The Pelicans could have put themselves in a solid playoff position and simply not taken it seriously. Maybe they’ll do better, but it’s hard to see them beating a Lakers team that will beat them up if they play small, and Zion can’t bully them. Zion needs a signature game, and we’re still waiting. See you Friday in NOLA.
Tom Haberstroh: Pelicans. Sunday was little more than an exhibition for the Pels: It was Brandon Ingram’s feel-it-out game and Jonas Valančiūnas’ lemme-get-82-games-and-sub-me-out game . The Pelicans will be in one piece here and in front of the home crowd.
Ben Rohrbach: Lakers. Did you see what they did to the Pelicans on Sunday, when New Orleans got its first shot at a guaranteed playoff seed? The same thing they did to them in the semifinals of the season tournament. When games matter, the Lakers put the Pelicans to bed early. That’s the benefit of having LeBron James and Anthony Davis on their side. The former likes to leverage his experience against New Orleans’ Zion Williamson, once The Next LeBron James, and the latter doesn’t mind taking on his former team either.
2.Warriors vs. Kings: who wins?
Rohrbach: Warriors. We could think about this and come up with a reason why the Kings’ youth and athleticism will prevail, but the Warriors are four-time champions, with Stephen Curry at the helm. Sacramento is missing two rotational cogs in Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter, both of whom bolster a seasonally mediocre offense. Additionally, the Kings still have no solution for how the Warriors sidestepped Domantas Sabonis’ defensive weaknesses in last year’s first-round matchup between the two division rivals.
Good will: Warriors. The absence of Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter means a lot will fall on Keon Ellis’ shoulders, and it’s a lot to ask of him to play at this pressure point with the increased minutes. Stephen Curry has been a bit worn and changed over the past month, but he can probably conjure up some magic for one game in a building where those edges like him. Domantas Sabonis can dominate Anthony Davis but does nothing against Draymond Green and the Warriors, it’s such a weird thing. You want good things for the Kings, but man, it’s hard to see that tonight.
Haberstroh: Warriors. If the Kings were without the services of Kevin Hurter and Malik Monk, I would feel differently. Stephen Curry dropped 50 points the last time he played a win-or-go-home postseason game in Sacramento. I expect more of the same.
3. Which of these teams has the best chance of making it out of the first round?
Haberstroh: Warriors. They were arguably the best team in the West last month. Something tells me they’re relishing the opportunity to revive We Believe Warriors 2.0 in OKC. A date with the youthful Thunder could provide the biggest experience gap in NBA history. I’m not saying the Warriors win, but they would have the best chance of easing the upset.
Rohrbach: The Lakers, only if they draw the eighth seed. I don’t think any of these teams can beat the second-seeded and defending champion Denver Nuggets. I think if you have James and Davis you have a chance – always, as cliché as it may sound. But especially against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, James unlocks physical and mental advantages — respectively, as a 6-foot-1, 250-pound forward who can fit in any lineup combination and perhaps the game’s biggest thinker. His experience would cast doubt on OKC.
Good will: If the Lakers could take on the measly OKC Thunder, I’m all in. They “could” lose to New Orleans, some would even say they would have to subvert the match, but that in itself is dangerous. Whoever plays against the Thunder has an experience advantage, especially a team with the jewelry that Golden State has. But the Warriors are 1-3 against the Thunder this season, with all four games coming in the first quadrant of the season. Both teams are different, but teams participate in the play-in for a reason.
