USA Today via Reuters

However, on the other end, if the Lakers lose to the Pelicans, they will either face Stephen Curry & Co. or the Sacramento Kings. Speaking of which, A. Smith again hit back at the LA side. He argued that the Sac Town’s Domantas Sabonis had a clean 10-0 record against AD and James’ three Finals losses against Steph. Moreover, after pointing out the threats that the Lakers have in all directions, Smith declared, “The Los Angeles Lakers are in danger of going home in the first round.”

Predictions: LeBron James & Co. vs Pels

The Lakers already have an advantage over the Pelicans with a 3-1 record in the regular season. The New Orleans side possesses both size and shooting prowess in their lineup. Zion Williamson brought in speed and domination near the rim and shooters like CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram took care of the shooting department. While the team looks complete with these players, the Lakers would contain it with their size advantage.

LeBron James & Anthony Davis, along with other big men like Rui Hachimura, Jaxon Hayes, and Taurean Prince, repeatedly restricted their opponents near the rim. Apart from them, they have sharpshooters in D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves.

However, along with these positives, the LA side has one big loophole. The team lacks shot-makers. The veteran NBA analyst Colin Cowherd recently pointed out that the team doesn’t have recognized shot-makers apart from LBJ and Reaves. He also stressed that the team looked all over the place during James and Reaves-less minutes in his recent podcast.

While A. Smith argued that the superstar duo would intentionally miss the game, Cowherd claimed that the team would lose with both superstars in the line-up. Will the Lakers shut down both critics? Let us know in the comments.