It’s been a week filled with rest and practice for the Lakers as they prepare for their first round matchup against the Wolves.
With anticipation building and the Lakers sitting as the third seed, many feel they can beat Minnesota and make a run at the NBA title.
Luka Dončić was asked about L.A. winning it all after practice on Thursday, and was confident they have a team that can do it.
“I think we have a great team,” Luka said. “We have guys that are willing to go to war. Everybody’s staying together. Chemistry is high. I think we for sure have a chance.”
This talk from Luka isn’t just him adopting Lakers exceptionalism; he knows what winning looks like. Last season, he made the NBA Finals with the Mavericks, and Luka did that as the fifth seed in the same conference.
With a healthy LeBron James, Austin Reaves and home court for the first time in any NBA playoff series, Luka has to feel good about his chances.
He relishes big games and high-pressure situations, and there will be plenty of those coming up. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see him in playoff mode as a Laker. Perhaps he can recreate the iconic shot he had over Rudy Gobert last season by ending Minnesota’s playoff run and leading the Lakers to the next round.
While Luka is maybe the most important player for Los Angeles, you need everyone in the rotation locked in to accomplish the ultimate goal.
You can add Dorian Finney-Smith to the list of Lakers players who are ready to start the postseason. He mentioned being excited to play in front of Lakers fans, and DFS will get that chance on Saturday during Game 1 against the Wolves.
It’s the first to 16, and hopefully, it will be a long journey for the Lakers that lasts for a couple of months as they pursue the ultimate prize in basketball.
They have a big three, won 50 games and are relatively helathy. With that and a roster that has buy in, anything is possible and soon, we’ll get to see just how high this iteration of the Lakers can soar.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
