Lakers News: Former LA Finals Foe Predicted Post-Deadline Team Could Make Conference Finals
Kendrick Perkins, who won a title as the Boston Celtics' starting center against your Los Angeles Lakers in 2008, has always been fearless when it comes to making bold prognostications in his second career as an ESPN broadcaster.
After the February 9th trade deadline, Perkins stuck his neck out a bit in favor of team vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka's totally-revamped Lakers, much to the chagrin of some of his NBA Today colleagues.
"I had them as a first round exit but they actually could make it to the Conference Finals with this roster, I think," Perkins offered at the time. "I think they could make a push. I don't see why you feel any different... With the new additions, the gap is not that far."
Fellow commentators Richard Jefferson and Malik Andrews tried to rebuff Perkins, listing a slew of Western Conference teams that have since been eliminated from contention.
Now, the 14-year center (who also enjoyed stints with the Oklahoma City and current Laker LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers) looks like a prophet, as Los Angeles finished with a 43-39 record and is set to face off against the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals on Tuesday.
Pelinka offloaded ill-fitting veteran point guard Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn (as well as solid backup center Thomas Bryant and some draft picks) in exchange for D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Malik Beasley, and Mo Bamba (and Davon Reed, but he's already gone), which greatly reconfigured Golden State's roster.
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