This article is part of our NBA Roundtable series.
Welcome to another edition of the RotoWire NBA Roundtable. Today, the NBA staff turns its attention toward the Western Conference Finals, featuring the top-seeded Lakers against the third-seeded Nuggets.
Denver has surmounted not one but two 3-1 deficits through the first two rounds of the playoffs, but the Lakers enter the series as heavy favorites. Here's how our panel believes the series will play out.
1. LA Lakers vs. 
3. Denver Nuggets
Alex Barutha: Lakers in 6. Both of these teams are coming in with heaps of well-earned confidence, though the Nuggets' confidence should be higher given that they came back down 3-1 on the Clippers. Denver deserves credit for what it's done this postseason -- Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are a lethal tandem and the depth of the team is clear. However, Anthony Davis will present a challenge for the Nuggets on both sides of the ball. He's equipped to guard Jokic, but Jokic is not equipped to guard him. The Nuggets also don't have a clear answer for LeBron, and while the Lakers don't really have an answer for Murray, LeBron is the one with the advantage there. I think this will be a well-fought series, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Nuggets found a way to pull it off.
James Anderson: Lakers in 7. As much as I love the Nuggets, I think this is the end of the line for them. The Lakers are as well rested as a team could possibly be, while the Nuggets have just completed two 3-1 comebacks, so they're about as gassed as a team could be heading into the Conference Finals. The Lakers don't have anyone who can guard Jamal Murray, so I think he will go nuts in at least 3-4 games, but they do have a lot of bodies they can throw at Nikola Jokic. The big question will be whether Jokic's existence means the Lakers ditch the Anthony Davis-at-center lineups. That could play right into Denver's hands. The Nuggets had the best player and two of the three best players in their last series, but I can't see LeBron and AD not being the two best players in this series.
Nick Whalen: Lakers in 5. Typically, I tend to err on the side of caution with these picks, but I think the Lakers -- while they'll never admit it-- can sense blood in the water with the Clippers eliminated from the playoffs. Denver has proven it's more than capable of pulling the upset -- the Clippers have been my Finals pick since this time last year -- but the Lakers are uniquely equipped to handle Nikola Jokic. If LeBron James and Anthony Davis are as locked in as they were in Games 2 through 5 of the Houston series, I think this one plays out similarly.
Ken Crites: Lakers in 6. I absolutely loved watching the draft-and-develop Nuggets comeback and defeat the Clippers' ready-made superteam. With that said, I think the Lakers match up much better defensively versus the Nuggets than the Clippers did. Plus, playoff Rajon Rondo suddenly looks pretty darn good. How much can Denver possibly have left in the tank after two 3-1 comebacks?
Mike Barner: Lakers in 6. After coming back from 3-1 deficits in each of their first two series, the magic runs out for the Nuggets here. Nikola Jokic will have a tough assignment with Anthony Davis defending him. Across four meetings in the regular season, the Lakers held Jokic to averages of 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists a game. The Lakers are well rested and should get off to a fast start in this series. LeBron James won't let them blow a 3-1 lead, either.
