Who do the Lakers want to play most, least in first round of playoffs?

The Los Angeles Lakers have been in a great spot all year, starting the season at 31-19 in their first 50 games and just three games back from being the second seed. They've also just added one of the best players of this generation, Luka Doncic.

In order to acquire Doncic, they had to give away Anthony Davis, Max Christie, Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2031 unprotected first-round pick. This is a small price to pay to get a 25-year-old superstar, where Los Angeles can have him for the next five to seven years, playing as a top three player in the league.

Doncic and LeBron James just may be the best duo in the NBA. They have great pieces, Austin Reaves has been playing like an All-Star, Rui Hachimura is a solid fourth option and they have great role players. But with the loss of Davis, and the Mark Williams trade falling through, they don't have a paint presence.

The Lakers must play a specific style which means if they want to get to or win the finals, they need to get the right matchup, so who should they want in the first round?

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What team do the Lakers want to play?

The Western Conference currently has 11 teams that a record of .500 or better and close to 13 teams that could get in. Of the 10 that currently are in the Play-In or better, are the Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and the Lakers.

Teams the Lakers don't want to see is more apparent than the ones that they should. The first being the Denver Nuggets, who have had their number for the last few seasons and without a rim protector, Jokic will feast despite having Doncic, who can match Jokic's level of play.

A few other teams they wouldn't want to see are the Thunder, Grizzlies, and Rockets. All these teams are more talented, specifically in the paint, and are better defensively, where not having a reliable rim protector will make beating these teams difficult.

Everyone else, is a favorable matchup for Los Angeles. The team they would have the most success against is the Minnesota Timberwolves. It is safe to say that in a series between the Lakers and Timberwolves, the Lakers would have the two best players in James and Doncic, with Anthony Edwards being a close third.

The area where the Lakers have the advantage is playoff success. Even though Minnesota made the conference finals last year, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle have not played well in the playoffs. Specifically with Rudy Gobert, teams make him an unplayable center despite being a four-time Defensive Player of the Year. James and head coach JJ Redick are too smart to continue that pattern. If that's the case, Minnesota loses its defensive anchor and size advantage.

Doncic's best round of the playoffs last year came against this same Minnesota team. The Lakers have the talent, the experience, and the IQ to beat this team in the playoffs. If they're able to gel quickly, they could be the favorites to win it all.