"You got a team with 3 Hall of Famers" - Shaquille O'Neal makes an extremely bold prediction about LA Lakers' postseason
Former NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal hasn't been impressed with the LA Lakers' dismal season. However, he still believes they will beat the mighty Phoenix Suns if the two teams meet in the first round of the playoffs.
The Lakers are currently ninth in the Western Conference standings with a 31-42 record. They are likely heading into the play-in tournament and will have to win two consecutive knockout games to qualify for the playoffs if they don't manage to finish eighth.
If LA does make it to the playoffs, they will likely square off against the league's best record holders, the Suns, in the first round.
Not many would give the LA Lakers a chance to cause an upset, considering how poor they have been compared to the Phoenix Suns. However, Shaquille O'Neal seems confident of LeBron James and co.'s chances as they will have key players like Anthony Davis back for the playoffs.
Here's what the former MVP said on the latest episode of his podcast, 'The Big Podcast With Shaq':
"I am disappointed in my Lakers, a lot of people are. We all forgot about their ages, 'oh Westbrook's coming, oh they got Carmelo.' Like we're used to having teams with big-name stars on it. So you've got a team with three Hall of Famers. You'd think they'd be in six or seven, and then AD's not playing."
Shaquille O'Neal continued:
"So I doubt they even make the play-in game. But if they do, they definitely have to win and they will face Phoenix in the first round. And if they make it to the eighth spot, they will beat Phoenix."
Shaquille O'Neal outlines Anthony Davis' return as key to LA Lakers' success in the playoffs
Shaquille O'Neal has criticized the LA Lakers on several occasions this season. The Lakers were expected to be vying for a top-four finish in the Western Conference before the start of the campaign. However, a poor start to the year, followed by injuries to the team's co-captains, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, put the 17-time champions in deep trouble.
Vogel on Anthony Davis: He’s getting evaluated on a daily basis based on the work he did the day prior.
“He’s coming along really well.”
Still no specific timetable/target date for a return.
They now face the possibility of not making the play-in tournament at all as they are only two games ahead of the 11th seeded San Antonio Spurs and are 11 games below the .500 mark. However, Shaquille O'Neal believes that if the Lakers get through to the play-in and finish as the eighth seed, they will beat Phoenix because they will have Davis back.
"AD gonna be back," said Shaq. "Shaqstradamus will be correct. Westbrook's been playing bad, all it takes is for certain people like that to just play good one or two games and then it snaps right back."
There could be a small chance for the LA Lakers to make some noise in the playoffs this year if they get there. They have been playing well over their last few games and are just coming off a close 121-126 loss against a healthy Philadelphia 76ers team without James and Davis.
Moral victories won't mean much at this point, but it's difficult to deny that the LA Lakers are finally finding their chemistry. On top of that, LeBron James has been phenomenal, averaging 30 points per game so far. James and AD also have a proven record in the playoffs, as they led the Lakers to a championship just 17 months back.
So there is a slight chance that Shaquille O'Neal's wild prediction may become a reality. However, much will hinge on Davis returning as healthy as possible and the LA Lakers continuing to play the way they have over their last few matches.