LeBron James’ Lakers look like ‘best team of the year’ heading into play-in tournament, says Skip Bayless after Pelicans win

King James and the Lakers were in their best version versus New Orleans.

LeBron James’ Lakers look like ‘best team of the year’ heading into play-in tournament, says Skip Bayless after Pelicans win

LeBron James and Skip Bayless

LeBron James and the Lakers end the season with a win against the Pelicans, securing the 8th seed in the West. Not only that, the Lakers went on a 17-game stretch winning 14 of those to clinch a better position for the Play-In tournament.

As they beat the Pelicans, who they will be facing in the play-in tournament, the game gives a great idea of how the Lakers might prevail as the 7th seed for the postseason.

YouTube video

The Lakers have been pretty dominant since the All-Star break. LeBron James finished the last game of the season with a triple-double performance, putting up 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 17 assists.

FS Video

On the other hand, Anthony Davis finished the game with 30 points and 11 rebounds. The men in purple and gold have found their switch and are ready for the play-in. Meanwhile, Skip Bayless was heavily impressed by the Laker’s performance versus the Pelicans. 

Your team (Lakers) looked like the the best team I've seen all year, yesterday. In that one game, in that one building, against that team. You annhilated the New Orleans Pelicans... It was a mismatch.
Said Bayless on Undisputed

Skip makes a great point about the Laker’s performance, as the team was in its full form. James led the way with the number; Davis was the secondary leader, whereas players like D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves contributed greatly on both ends of the floor. By the looks of it, the Lakers might be en route to the playoffs.

LeBron James will be making his 16th playoff appearance

The Lakers have set the tone going into the play-in and are a bigger threat to the Pelicans. This healthy Laker squad has shown its true potential and is quite scary as the postseason approaches. Last year, the men in purple and gold weren’t expected to make a deep playoff run. However, James and the Lakers went as far as the conference finals. 

King James, the definition of versatility and longevity, will be making his 16th postseason appearance if they pull off the win against New Orleans on Tuesday.

With the odds stacked slightly against them, the Lakers might just pull off another upset. AD is healthy, as is the rest of the roster. Looking at the history of AD, his absence did affect rebounding and rim protection when playing against tougher teams. 

This time, Davis is at his best of the season. Apart from that, Reaves, Russell, and Rui Hachimura also have bigger roles to play, as they will look to take responsibility in the upcoming game. It will be interesting to see whether the Lakers can be as dominant as in the last game on Tuesday night. 

In case you missed it: