Los Angeles Lakers: Ranking prospective first-round opponents

2. New Orleans Pelicans

A Lakers-Pelicans series would make for the best storylines and drama of any potential first-round opponent, and provide the most box-office appeal.

LeBron vs. Zion Williamson, who has been touted as the next LeBron.

Anthony Davis vs. his former team.

Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart vs. the team that traded them for Davis.

Upsetting the Lakers and dashing their title hopes would be the sweetest revenge for the Pelicans (28-36), who had to give up their former franchise building block after Davis requested a trade last year. It would also be the greatest gift for critics who bashed LeBron and the Lakers for trading key pieces of their young core to create an instant-contender with Davis.

Unfortunately for the Pelicans, the revenge games haven’t worked out this season. They went 0-4 against the Lakers, and while the games were mostly close, New Orleans just doesn’t appear ready to tackle an experienced L.A. team in a playoff series.

Ingram shot 34.1 percent from the field and 21.6 percent from 3-point range against the Lakers. Jrue Holiday shot 37.9 percent from the field against the Lakers.

Meanwhile, Davis played like a man on a mission against his former squad. While he missed one of the Lakers-Pelicans games, AD averaged 36.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in three outings.