As the first round of the Playoff is kicking in, former Boston Celtics player Paul Pierce tenaciously made a claim about the Denver Nuggets tearing down the LA Lakers. Just days before the final game, Paul Pierce and Skip Bayless went head to head against each other as the latter was standing with the Lakers for the first Nuggets vs. Lakers playoff game. The Western Conference Finals 2023 rematch has instilled a thrill as Denver might be looking to make a 4-0 sweep after a record of 3-0 against the Lakers in the regular season.

Paul Pierce shares the same view as the predictions going in the NBA community. During his appearance on the debate show Undisputed, Pierce claimed, “Nothing’s going to change. Denver is still the Lakers’ daddy.” Backing up his remark, Pierce further commented on the Lakers, “They have no answer for Murray, they have no answer for Joker. And this home crowd is unbelievable once the Playoffs start.” Pierce pointed out legitimate concerns for the Lakers when they enter the Nuggets’ home court.

Apart from the home crowd and altitude advantage, the Nuggets’ experienced core is going to overpower the Lakers with their depth and firepower. However, unlike last year’s Championship series, Denver is deprived of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green this postseason. Coming to the Lakers, the humiliation from Game 1 last year might make D’Angelo Russell “the killer” against Denver. But LeBron and Co. are still not over his slow start from last year, which might cost the Lakers the game.

Skip Bayless shows core Lakers genes against Paul Pierce

The predictions are all looming in favor of Nuggest against the LA Lakers courtesy of the former’s 8 straight game dominance. However, the host of Fox Sports show Undisputed, Skip Bayless publically revealed his trust in the current Lakers roster. He shared, “I’ve liked this Lakers squad from the start from day one… I believe they can beat yourself [Celtics]. I just think they are better than the Celtics.” Bayless is not giving up hope despite the odds his favorite team is facing in the Playoffs.

The debate show host was looking forward to the Lakers taking on the Celtics in the finals. But the first ladder that LeBron and Co. have to climb up is the high altitude of Denver with Joker‘s high-intensity game. The prominent change that might change the Lakers’ fate is their better chance at 3-point shooting, which led them to their victory against the Pelicans by 4 points. Lakers’ beyond-the-arc shots have increased by 3.8%, comparing their stats from the first 41[35.7%] and last 41 [39.5%] games.

Considering the growth in point-scoring strategy, the Lakers still got chances along with their star power. However, with their run-and-gun strategy, Jokic and Co. will be ready to overwhelm the star power. Either way, it will be a highly competitive playoff match where Paul Pierce’s claims will get to test.