The NBA playoffs field is set, and LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will face Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in the first round. Unfortunately for LA, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are out with injuries, making the playoff path even more difficult.
On Monday, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith had a brutal prediction, even saying there is a chance the Lakers get swept in the first round.
“Lakers going home very early. At the most, five, and I anticipate they might get swept,” Smith said.
"Lakers going home very early. … I anticipate they might get swept."
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 13, 2026
—@stephenasmith on the Lakers' playoff chances without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves 😳 pic.twitter.com/l9NfDbqzAL
The Lakers are the No. 4 seed and the Rockets are the No. 5 seed, but Smith is hesitant to say that LA will win even one game during this series.
James has had three straight games with at least 25 points, and he scored 18 in the season finale against the Utah Jazz despite playing just under 17 minutes, so he has been playing well. However, Smith doesn’t think the Lakers have enough, even if James puts up big numbers in the series.
Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, and Reaves suffered an oblique injury with a four-to-six week timeline as of April 4.
If the Lakers advance and defeat the Rockets, there is a scenario where Reaves and Doncic return, but things aren’t looking very promising right now in LA.
