Alexander: These Lakers should not be thought about underdogs

LOS ANGELES-- The Lakers belong here.

They are entitled to no longer be considered a No. 7 seed. They might still be underdogs in the nationwide consciousness, and their successes in the first 2 rounds of the NBA playoffs may be considered upsets, but those who would do so need to look beyond the 43-victory routine season and consider the twists and turns of this odd journey, and how they've assisted transform this group.

When the Western Conference finals begin Tuesday night in Denver, this will be a fair battle. Yes, the Nuggets are the No. 1 seed, and they have Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, home-court advantage and a healthy belief that this is their year.

But how do you think about any LeBron James group that makes it to this point of the season an underdog? The Lakers themselves think, and the journey has actually provided reason to. Beating the young, energetic Memphis Grizzlies, and then dismissing the proud champion Golden State Warriors in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs has actually fed that belief.

" I think the seeding thing is simply a number," stated Lakers guard Austin Reaves, one of the heroes of Friday night's series-clinching 122-101 triumph over the Warriors. "When you have people like Bron, A.D. (Anthony Davis) that's won championships, even Tristan (Thompson) that's been through the fire with LeBron and all those championships (in Cleveland), you always feel like you have a chance.

" And especially with the roster that we have, the talent that we have. Like, you seen Game 4 when Lonnie (Walker IV) went out and put on a center, and 3 games before that he wasn't playing. When you have talent like that, our whole thing before the playoffs was (to) get in. Like if we get in, you know, we truly think in a seven-game series that we would be difficult to beat. And I think that that's been proven these very first 2 series."

What's the larger achievement? The major lineup renovation General Manager Rob Pelinka performed at midseason? Or the bond that the brand-new guys and the holdovers have developed in simply three months?

" Rob Pelinka can inform you right up, I didn't expect this," D'Angelo Russell said. "I didn't believe this. So I 'd be incorrect, I 'd be lying to inform you I did. But once we got out there, you might simply tell guys liked each other. Men wanted to play for each other. And it was just infectious. Everybody wished to win. Everybody wanted to just get the job done every night. And you looked up, we had a possibility and we ran with that.

" He got snubbed for that GM award that he was expected to get," Russell included.

Sacramento's Monte McNair was called the NBA's Executive of the Year last week, not remarkably provided the introduction of the Kings. But the Lakers' significant enhancement over the last two months of the regular season must have had sufficient impact for him to complete higher than 11th in the ballot of league executives. Pelinka got one third-place vote which was it.

However it's like the point Coach Darvin Ham made the other night when other awards snubs were discussed. Would you rather have a regular season award, or would you rather have a genuine shot at a ring?

" Bunch of guys that were selfless," Russell stated of the trades that brought Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba as well as himself. … When you have the right chemistry with guys it makes it that easy to go out every night and just play for each other."

These players are gotten ready for this environment. Being a Laker and a member of LeBron's team, and the attention and environment that comes with that helps. The intense focus needed to remove of the hole the Lakers themselves produced, or at least those who were on the roster previously in the season … … that assists, too.

And to kind of be locked in like that before this-- I indicate, this is different simply due to the fact that you play the very same team at most seven times. To have that attention to information, the focus that we had to have for the last month of the regular season, I believe can be a big benefit for us because like I said, we were so locked in for so long."

It does begin with the leader. Whether LeBron was pacing himself at points during the Warriors series, he laid all of it out there in Game 6: 30 points, 9 rebounds, nine assists, 2 steals, one obstructed shot and a couple of no-look passes that restored memories of Magic Johnson orchestrating a previous generation's quick break.

" They (the other gamers) anticipate absolutely nothing however achievement from him," Ham said. "… … It's about the work he's put in and where he's placed himself, not just in his league today, but amongst the greats."

LeBron's been here typically sufficient prior to that the expectations are baked in. When asked if there was a possibility the Lakers were playing with house cash at this point, he shot that down.

" Nah," he stated. "We're trying to win every hand."

This is no underdog. This is a group that's choosing the franchise's 18th NBA champion.

It belongs here. And it very well might remain to the end.

jalexander@scng.com