Weeks before the NBA playoffs are set to begin, Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson has offered his prediction for the Western Conference Finals. As the regular season draws to a close, the Lakers find themselves in a favorable position, with LeBron James and the recently acquired Luka Doncic seemingly poised for a deep postseason run.
The blockbuster trade that brought Doncic to Los Angeles has ignited a sense of invincibility among Lakers fans, fostering the belief that this revamped roster has the potential to contend for an NBA title. At their current trajectory, such aspirations don’t seem entirely unfounded.
The Lakers currently hold a 48-30 overall record, placing them third in the Western Conference standings. Notably, since Doncic joined the lineup, the team has gone 16-9, showcasing the immediate impact of his arrival.
Los Angeles Lakers Great Magic Johnson Makes His Pick For The Western Conference Finals
Head coach J.J. Redick has been credited with effectively integrating Doncic into the team’s offensive framework while simultaneously improving their defensive performance. With this in mind, Magic Johnson took to X, formerly Twitter, to share his forecast for the final two teams representing the Western Conference.
“I predict that if the Warriors and the Lakers end up in opposite brackets, they’ll be playing each other in the Western Conference Finals. It’ll be must-see-TV in the East and the West!” Johnson proclaimed.
However, the Lakers still need to finish the regular season strong to definitively avoid the Play-In tournament. The Western Conference remains highly competitive, with multiple teams fiercely battling to secure playoff positioning and avoid the Play-In. Several franchises have made significant late-season decisions, most notably the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies, who surprisingly fired their head coaches just before the playoffs. Despite this volatility, the conference is brimming with dangerous contenders.
Currently, the eighth seed, occupied by the Grizzlies, holds a 46-32 record, while the teams seeded fifth through eighth all share the same record. The fourth-seeded Nuggets stand slightly ahead at 47-32. A late-season slump could jeopardize the Lakers’ current standing and potentially drop them into the Play-In. However, their recent form suggests they are likely to maintain their current position. The team has won their last two games, including a decisive victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, indicating that the roster is coalescing at an opportune moment.
Ultimately, only time will tell if Magic Johnson’s prediction comes to fruition. As it stands, the Lakers are currently positioned to face the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, though the playoff picture could still shift in the remaining few games. Regardless of the final matchups, Johnson’s assertion that the Lakers are potentially just one series away from returning to the NBA Finals no longer seems like a bold statement. This storied franchise appears to be reclaiming its place among the league’s elite.