5 teams who can challenge the LA Lakers in the Western Conference
The addition of Anthony Davis ahead of the 2019-20 NBA season made the LA Lakers clear contenders for the NBA title. A year later, the LA Lakers are the reigning NBA champions after LeBron James and AD's duo led them to the promised land.
5 teams who can challenge the LA Lakers in the Western Conference
Last season, the LA Lakers controlled the NBA's regular season, leading the stacked Western Conference with a 52-19 record. In the 2020 NBA Playoffs of the Orlando bubble, the LA Lakers dominated their rivals.
The six-game series win over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals was the only matchup in which they lost more than one game in the NBA Playoffs.
For the upcoming 2020-21 NBA season, the LA Lakers are the team to beat as they have also had a solid NBA Free Agency 2020.
General Manager Rob Pelinka and his team added Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroder, Marc Gasol, and Wesley Matthews to their squad. The LA Lakers have a renewed, younger bench in their quest to win back-to-back titles.
In the rest of the Western Conference, some of the LA Lakers' rivals had good signings (such as the LA Clippers landing Serge Ibaka).
However, teams like the Denver Nuggets (the LA Lakers' rivals in the 2020 Western Conference Finals) lost some key pieces of their system (Jerami Grant and Torrey Craig).
On that note, we will review the five challengers who could dethrone the LA Lakers from their Western Conference pedestal.
#5 Houston Rockets
Before a likely James Harden trade happens, the Houston Rockets are still a team to look out for in the Western Conference. Last season, the Rockets had a nice run before the pandemic hit, but their performance in the NBA Playoffs was not great.
Ultimately, their small-ball philosophy did not work against the LA Lakers as LeBron James and Anthony Davis imposed their height and power in their second-round matchup.
James Harden and Russell Westbrook are reportedly looking to get out of Houston. Reports suggest the two former MVPs do not want to play with each other anymore. However, Westbrook dismissed the information, and the noise on those possible trades has calmed down.
The Rockets also signed DeMarcus Cousins, an All-Star just two years ago and a two-time member of the All-NBA teams. If Cousins stays healthy and his level is similar to his pre-injury version, he could be a good matchup against Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers' bigs.
If the Rockets maintain Harden and Westbrook, adding Cousins could be a nice fit to face the LA Lakers.
The Rockets' defense could be their weak area again (they were 14th in Defensive Rating last year), especially after trading Robert Covington to the Portland Trail Blazers.
#4 Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz played a historic first-round series against the Denver Nuggets in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Even though they suffered a heartbreaking first-round exit, their performance against the Denver Nuggets was well-respected.
Donovan Mitchell signed a five-year, $195 million extension with the Jazz and will be the centerpiece of the organization in years to come. Mitchell had a great run in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and his progression should continue in the right direction in 2021.
Mitchell is a unique scorer who averaged 24 points per game in last year's regular season with 45/37/86 shooting splits.
In the seven-game series against the Nuggets, he averaged 36 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game. Moreover, Mitchell shot 52% from the field, 51% from the three-point line, and made 95% of his free throws.
The team also have a great paint defender in Rudy Gobert. The Frenchman is a two-time DPOY who could manage to make Anthony Davis work harder on the post (though he will not be able to slow him down).
Still, the Jazz is a solid team with a group of players who have been playing with each other for years. They also have a coach, Quin Snyder, who has been there for the past six seasons. They could be a threat to the LA Lakers, and the matchup wouldn't be a bad one for the Jazz.
Utah was 13th in Defensive Rating last season, and that is an area to upgrade for the upcoming season if they expect to challenge the LA Lakers.