For the first time since they won the NBA Championship in 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers will not have to fight their way through the NBA Play-In Tournament to get into the playoffs.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith seems so impressed with the job Redick has done that he boldly said on "NBA Countdown" the coach will someday win a world title (h/t Lakers Daily ).

The Los Angeles Lakers are favored in their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but they can't take Anthony Edwards and company lightly. The Timberwolves (49-33) finished only one game behind the Lakers (50-32) in the regular season, although the latter team was 18-10 with Luka Doncic in the lineup.