LeBron James rival makes playoff prediction that Lakers fans will not like

Though they are on a five-game winning streak entering Monday night, the Los Angeles Lakers remain subject to plenty of skepticism about their realistic ceiling come playoff time.

The Lakers (42-25) have a huge showdown with the Houston Rockets (41-25) on Monday that could prove decisive as to where both teams finish in the congested Western Conference playoff picture.

Los Angeles' recent hot streak has put it in position to claim home-court advantage in a first-round playoff series, but not everyone is enamored with LeBron James, Luka Doncic and company. Take Paul Pierce, for example.

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Pierce, a Boston Celtics icon and a former James rival, claimed on the No Fouls Given podcast that the Lakers will not make it out of the first round, even if they have home court. It didn't help the Lakers last year, when they lost to the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.

"If they have to play (the) Timberwolves, Nuggets, Rockets ... I don’t think they can beat any of these three teams," Pierce said. 

Pierce's remarks may well serve as fuel to the Lakers' fire. Though they have two of the game's most alluring talents in James and Doncic leading a top-10 offense, the Lakers rank just 21st in defensive efficiency and a league-average 15th in net rating.

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