NBA analyst declares 2020 Lakers the best team since Steph Curry and Kevin Durant's 2018 Warriors
The NBA has experienced considerable parity since the Golden State Warriors' late 2010s dynasty. However, according to The Volume's Jason Timpf, the 2020 LA Lakers stand alone as the best NBA title team of the past six years.
Golden State won three championships from 2015 to 2018, with the last two featuring virtually unbeatable superteams led by superstars Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. However, since the Warriors' 2018 title, the league has crowned a different champion in each of the past six seasons.
Following the Boston Celtics' 2024 title, many began debating their placement among the top championship teams of the past six years. After a dominant 64-18 regular season, the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown-led squad went 16-3 in the playoffs, facing little adversity.
However, according to Timpf, the LeBron James and Anthony Davis-led 2020 Lakers still have the edge. He noted that LA overcame tougher circumstances during the COVID-19-shortened 2019-20 season, which featured an NBA bubble postseason.
"Even though the Celtics were more dominant on paper than the 2020 Lakers, the 2020 Lakers were also insanely dominant," Timpf said. "The 2020 Lakers started 24-3. Before the stoppage when COVID shut down the season, they were winning at a 64-win pace. Guess how many games the Celtics won? 64. And the Lakers did it in a substantially tougher conference."
Timpf acknowledged that this year's Celtics "absolutely" faced tougher competition in the NBA Finals. However, he added that the '20 Lakers had a more difficult pathway to the finals.
"If you stack up all the teams, Dame [Lillard] and CJ McCollum in Round 1, James Harden at the peak of his powers and Russell Westbrook in the second round, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray [in Round 3], I believe the Lakers played tougher teams overall in that playoff run," Timpf said.
Timpf concluded by highlighting how the '20 Lakers' star power and versatility make them the best team since the '18 Warriors.
"I've got the best players in that series; the Lakers match up extremely well," Timpf said. "I just think that the 2020 Lakers team is the best basketball team that I've seen since the 2018 Warriors with Kevin Durant and Steph Curry."
Nikola Jokic said 2020 Lakers were most challenging NBA defense he faced
Among those who hold the 2020 Lakers in high esteem is Denver superstar center Nikola Jokic. His Nuggets lost in five games to LA in the 2020 Western Conference finals. According to the three-time MVP, the Lakers' suffocating defense decided the series.
On the "Curious Mike" podcast last year, Jokic proclaimed the squad's defense the toughest he's ever played against.
“I think, that was the bubble, right, when they [Lakers] had three or four big guys, AD, JaVale [McGee], [Dwight Howard]," Jokic said.
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Despite its dominance, LA quickly lost its top role players in the year-plus after its title run. That includes trading Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma to the Washington Wizards for then-star point guard Russell Westbrook in 2021. The same year, it lost defensive-minded guard Alex Caruso in free agency.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, their roster overhaul around LeBron James and Anthony Davis didn't pay off. They haven't returned to the NBA Finals since 2020, making only one conference finals appearance.
Also Read: Key member of Denver Nuggets 2023 championship run credits LA Lakers for failed 2024 title defense: “Felt like they should have beat us”