The Los Angeles Lakers begin their championship repeat efforts from an unlikely position, the No. 7 seed. After defeating the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In Tournament, they now turn their attention to the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed, the Phoenix Suns, in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
The Suns hold the NBA’s second-best record behind the Utah Jazz, and they did so behind the strength of their backcourt. Chris Paul — in his first year with the Suns — has completely changed the culture of the franchise. Despite doing all of that, they are now faced with one of the most difficult first-round matchups a No.