Los Angeles Lakers: 3 players need to step up in NBA playoffs vs Blazers

Some members of the Los Angeles Lakers appear to be slipping in the bubble, meaning they have to work twice as hard now that the NBA playoffs are beginning.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be taking on the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2020 playoffs in a series that has NBA fans fired up all across the globe.

The Lakers have been one of the best —if not the best— regular season team in 2019-20 with a great chance at lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy when it’s all said and done. Despite their shaky bubble 8-ball, the Lakers should still be considered the favorites.

Moving on to the Blazers, they have definitely been the Cinderella story of the bubble, managing to clinch a playoff spot when most people had begun writing them off. Damian Lillard and Co. showcased some exceptional basketball play in the NBA bubble so far and no team should be happy having to face them.

The Blazers have always been considered as a heavily guard-dominant team, though the acquisitions of Hassan Whiteside and Jusuf Nurkic have certainly altered that thesis. As a result, no Laker will have an easy couple of weeks against this dark horse of a team. A terrific offense with a sweetly-aging Carmelo as the cherry on top will be a tough one to stop.

The Los Angeles Lakers have an extremely deep roster, with multiple high-level players at every position. On a team where pretty much everyone managed to hold his own during the regular season, a few members have had a pre-playoff downfall. In a series against a very talented team, like the Blazers are, these players will have to step up and get that dirt off their shoulders.