"Before LeBron 'runs out of gas'" - Skip Bayless thinks Lakers could beat Nuggets but takes a dig at LeBron James
It's no secret that Skip Bayless is not a LeBron James fan, and now that the Los Angeles Lakers are facing the Denver Nuggets in the first round, the veteran analyst has let everybody know about his thoughts. As expected, Bayless didn't shy away from his usual jabs at The King.
In a post on X, the 72-year-old boldly suggested that if the Lakers genuinely believe they are the better team, then they should be able to match or even beat the Nuggets early in the playoffs, as LeBron is not worn out yet. Bayless was clearly implying that he could still remember the narrative that James was already gassed out when the Purple and Gold took on Denver in the Western Conference Finals last year, resulting in L.A.'s humiliating sweep defeat.
Skip sees either L.A. or Denver making the Finals
In a follow-up tweet, Bayless made a bold prediction on the Lakers-Nuggets first-round duel. Based on his assessment, the winner between L.A. and Denver would surely be the team to make it to the Finals.
Skip also predicted which Eastern Conference team would be the other half of the 2024 NBA Finals. Without any further explanation, Bayless named the No. 1 team in the league this season – Boston Celtics.
Skip may have a point
In all fairness, Bayless' take on the subject may be anti-LeBronish but on the flip side, it also makes logical sense. One reason is that Denver is arguably L.A.'s toughest rival in the postseason. If they can outmatch the Nuggets, the Lakers would undoubtedly be the team to beat in the West.
However, eliminating the Nuggets means L.A. would have to go through the eye of the needle. Looking back at the Laker's 110-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in their Play-In showdown, the stat sheet revealed that Los Angeles allowed Zion Williamson to drop a staggering 40 points. Needless to say, the Lakers couldn't let a player score like that if they wanted to beat Denver.
It's also worth noting that the Lakers managed to have an 18-point lead, but they failed to hang on to it until the Pelicans rallied late in the fourth. They couldn't afford to do that against Denver, too.
As for James, his 23 points, nine assists, and three steals are impressive. However, his 6-20 field goal shooting in 41 minutes of action is not the quality of basketball that could lead his team to victory over the Nuggets.
