Title: “Harden Clinches First Title; Clippers Need Only Five Steps to Secure; Can Pelicans Overtake Lakers?”
In the final games of the NBA regular season, the Lakers secured a big win against the Pelicans on the road, while the Suns triumphed over the Timberwolves away. Consequently, the Suns climbed above the Pelicans to claim the sixth spot in the Western Conference, securing a direct path to the playoffs. The Pelicans now stand at seventh in the West, set to face the eighth-seeded Lakers in the play-in tournament. The winner will secure the seventh playoff seed in the West, while the loser will compete against the winner of the Kings vs. Warriors matchup for the eighth seed. So, who will claim the seventh spot between the Pelicans and the Lakers? Industry insiders have weighed in with their predictions.
Media personality Yang Yi has offered his forecast, stating on his show that he believes the Pelicans will defeat the Lakers to secure the seventh seed, with the Lakers then prevailing over the Warriors in the second round of the play-in tournament (Yang Yi predicts the Warriors will defeat the Kings).
ESPN has also made predictions in line with Yang Yi’s, favoring the Pelicans. ESPN’s forecast gives the Pelicans a 58% chance of winning the play-in game, with the Lakers at 42%.
Warriors player Draymond Green has also shared his prediction, backing the Lakers. He asserts that as long as Anthony Davis is healthy, the Lakers can defeat the Pelicans. According to Green, it will be extremely difficult for the Pelicans to beat the Lakers unless they can make a large number of three-pointers, similar to their performance against the Warriors.
In the regular season, the Lakers and the Pelicans faced off four times, with the Lakers holding a clear advantage of three wins to one loss. From a tactical and roster perspective, the Lakers have the upper hand against the Pelicans. Zion Williamson, the Pelicans’ primary weapon, lacks shooting ability beyond driving to the basket. Although Williamson’s driving force is formidable, LeBron James can withstand his attacks, aided by Davis’ rim protection and help defense. Williamson struggles to score under the Lakers’ basket, and other Pelicans players find it even more challenging.
While the Lakers can contain the Pelicans’ inside game, the Pelicans struggle to defend against the Lakers’ inside offense. Both Davis and James can dominate under the Pelicans’ basket, and the only hope for the Pelicans to defeat the Lakers lies in their three-point shooting. Based on past performances, it appears highly unlikely that the Pelicans can beat the Lakers. However, with ESPN and Yang Yi favoring the Pelicans, could they pull off a miraculous upset? We’ll have to wait and see.
