This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Charles Curtis.
“Oh, surely you jest,” you say.
Nope. Not kidding. The Lakers are championship contenders. This is not a drill.
This team is finally healthy and at full strength, at just the right time. And after a decisive 128-112 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of their first-round matchup, I’m ready to declare it: There’s a path to them winning it all.
Let’s first talk about this Lakers team. As long as Anthony Davis doesn’t get injured again, they’re a deep squad, with The Brow, LeBron, the emergence of Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell giving L.A. some firepower.
I know Rui Hachimura isn’t going 11-of-14 or 5-of-6 from three again. But the bench with him, Dennis Schroder and Troy Brown Jr. is pretty solid.
Thing is: It’s all about LeBron here. Are you counting him out? In any playoff series? Didn’t think so.
But then, we need to talk about the rest of the West. The Nuggets are obviously talented but not necessarily built to grind out a playoff series. The Kings are fun but I’d take the Lakers over them based on experience. The Clippers need Paul George back. The Suns? I don’t know what to make of them even with KD there.
The team I worry about is the Warriors … but they’ve got to get past Sacramento first.
The point here is it’s WIDE OPEN in the conference. And like I said: If LeBron James is involved and the Lakers stay healthy? We could see them in the Finals after a roller-coaster ride of a season. In a seven-game series against the East’s best? Hey, you never know.
Quick Hits: Russell Westbrook confronts fan … More NBA playoffs … What the Jets can learn when they get Aaron Rodgers … and more.
— Video shows Russell Westbrook confronting a Suns fan.
— 6 lessons Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Joe Montana can teach the Jets about Aaron Rodgers.
— Hot mics caught a fan making fun of Rudy Gobert by trying to instigate another punch in Denver.
— Umps let Domingo German stay in the Yankees game despite a failed substance check.
