"OKC, KFC, UFC, Lakers in five" - Shannon Sharpe hilariously predicts LeBron James' path to 5th ring with Luka Doncic

Coming off an impressive win over the Denver Nuggets Saturday, the new-look LA Lakers looked poised to make noise in the Western Conference. Following Luka Doncic's best outing since the blockbuster trade, one analyst is siding with them over one of the NBA's most elite teams.

Doncic came out of the gates slow for LA but returned to form in a big way against Denver. The star guard led the charge in the 123-100 victory, posting a stat line of 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Before this, Doncic's most points since debuting was 16.

Since transitioning into a career as a TV analyst, Shannon Shapre has been a known supporter of LeBron James and the LA Lakers. After Saturday's win, he has stamped this group as a top team in the West. On First Take Monday, the NFL Hall of Famer went as far as to say LA can take down the OKC Thunder in a playoff series.

"OKC, KFC, UFC, Lakers in five," Sharpe said. "When Luka playing like that, we got GOAT James, it don't matter."

As we approach the final stretch of the regular season, LeBron and Co. sit in fourth place in the West with a 34-21 record. The Thunder remain way ahead of the pack, comfortably sitting in first place at 46-10.

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Magic Johnson also feeling confident in new-look Lakers after win vs Nuggets

Shannon Sharpe isn't the only one who's high on the Lakers after they took down the Nuggets. One of the franchise's greatest players has also been quick to sing their praises following the impressive showing.

Shortly after LA secured their victory Saturday night, Magic Johnson took to X (formerly Twitter) to give his insights. He dove deeper than just the team's star duo, looking at the group as a whole. The Hall of Fame point guard applauded JJ Redick and the supporting cast while raving about the roster's offensive capabilities.

Luka Doncic's play might have been the biggest takeaway, but the Lakers had numerous standouts in the blowout win. Others to step up and have a big night included Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. The duo broke the 20-point mark, combining for a total of 44 points. LeBron James was also a key contributor, recording 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

With the victory, it appears LA has started to wipe away any doubts of how the team would look post-blockbuster trade. Still with about seven weeks to go in the regular season, the group will look to build on this performance as they gear up for the postseason. Being labeled a contender might be premature, but the duo of Doncic and LeBron make LA a dark horse in the West.