After both the Nuggets and the Celtics were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, Lakers fans of the more petty variety could rejoice that their most recent and their most longstanding playoff rivals were no longer in contention to win the championship. Add in the Clippers and the Warriors not even escaping the play-in, and there’s been a near clean sweep of the most offensive teams who could claim the Larry O’Brien trophy all out of the mix.
One could argue, then, that any of the four
remaining teams would not only make a worthy champion but would be a mostly unoffensive title holder to Lakers fans.
I, however, won’t argue that.
You see, I’m someone who, despite loving the NBA beyond the Lakers, truly does root for great performances regardless of what non-Celtic delivers it and wants to see the best games on a night-to-night basis. I am not immune to having rooting interests that are at least somewhat informed by a certain pettiness and dislike fomented by whatever thing matters only and specifically to me.
These things can be small or large, be rooted in historical truths or grievances of the more made-up variety, or just plain old resentment. What can I say? I might pride myself on being objective about the Lakers and seeing them through clear eyes, but I’m not above finding a reason to either cheer on or root against someone else’s team.
With that, let’s take a look at the final four teams and who I think Lakers fans should be rooting for to advance to the Finals and then win it all.
Western Conference Finals — Thunder vs. Spurs
It feels like two bad choices here.
The Thunder just swept the Lakers out of the playoffs. Some might say that having them advance as far as possible helps the Lakers in the eyes of history in a “at least they lost to the eventual champion” sort of way, but I don’t care about that this time!
Because while OKC is a wonderful team that deserves all the praise and respect they get, they are also a team who, despite their nightly advantages in top-end talent and depth, will foul on defense and flop on offense to gain even more of an edge over their usually overmatched opponents. And while I’m sure this can sound like — and even might be! — sour grapes, the sheer irritation I feel when watching them milk every microadvantage out of a possession when simply being naturally better is enough against nearly every team endures beyond my general appreciation for how good they are.
As for the Spurs, they’re also a historical rival of the Lakers whose five title run over the last 25-plus years has them consistently discussed as a model franchise even though the Lakers’ run to six titles in that same time frame — which included dispatching San Antonio out of the playoffs more times than they did the Lakers — doesn’t earn the same accolades, which continues to irk me to this day.
Yes, the Lakers had some lean years over that stretch before LeBron signed with them in free agency, but the Spurs current team is built on the strength of six straight sub-35-win seasons, which netted them the picks that turned into Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper.
My point is, rooting for the Spurs to win feels antithetical to the rivalry these teams have shared over the past quarter-century.
But, I’m doing it anyway. At least for now. Because from my vantage point, I’d prefer to see the Thunder bounced and their burgeoning dynasty put on hold in favor of a Spurs team that has had their number all season. Also, that the “If OKC wins the title for the second straight year with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning back-to-back league and Finals MVP’s, is SGA better than Kobe???!!!” stuff that is on the tips of so many people’s tongues feels fairly disrespectful and I want that put to a halt ASAP.
So, for one round at least, go Spurs go.
Eastern Conference Finals — Knicks vs. Cavs
If the previous series felt like there was no good answer, this one feels much more like a strain to find a bad one.
The Cavs not only have no historical rivalry with the Lakers, they did a trade with the Lakers back at the 2018 trade deadline that helped the Lakers clear the cap space they used to sign LeBron in free agency in July of that year!
The Cavs also have multiple players whom I either like or am neutral on, with Donovan Mitchell being someone I think quite highly of, and both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen being players whom I’ve thought would be good Lakers trade targets before their salaries got too big with their latest deals. James Harden is not my fave and is someone whose grift-heavy style and big game struggles have led to me cracking jokes at his expense, but there are plenty of other players I’ve enjoyed watching fail more than him.
As for the Knicks, they have several players I like a lot and I generally don’t have much anything bad to say about them. Jalen Brunson certainly hunts his fair amount of fouls, but he’s also a supremely clutch player whose Game 1 push in the fourth quarter is the stuff playoff legends are made of.
The rest of their team is either guys I would love to have on the Lakers, including OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and one of my favorite former Baby Lakers in Josh Hart. I’ve even warmed up to Karl Anthony Towns, whose general game bothered me more in his early days in Minnesota, but his playoff effectiveness of the last few years has mostly washed that away for me.
Because of these factors, and despite James Dolan (another one of not my faves), I was already slightly leaning towards the Knicks, but them being the only big market team remaining in the playoffs swings things all the way in their favor in this series.
Us big market fan bases gotta stick together.
NBA Finals — Spurs vs. Knicks
This is easy. Knicks all the way. Call it the revenge of the lockout Finals of 1999 — a title that no one seems to go out of their way to disparage the way that some do the 2020 Lakers title, but I digress.
One of the only reasons I can justify rooting for the Spurs in the Conference Finals is because I think the Knicks pose an interesting challenge to them with their combination of a spacing big man in Towns, a great pick-and-roll guard in Brunson, a bruising offensive rebounder like Mitchell Robinson and the elite defensive wings in Bridges and Anunoby.
The Spurs would clearly be favored if such a matchup happened, but that would only make the Knicks winning more fun and sweeter. Plus, considering the general rivalry between Boston and New York, if having the Knicks win a year after eliminating the Celtics from the playoffs were to give that city and their fans one more thing to be even slightly upset about, it’s worth it.
You can follow Darius on BlueSky at @forumbluegold and find more of his Lakers coverage on the Laker Film Room Podcast.
