NBA: 5 championship contenders after Kawhi Leonard’s decision

Los Angeles Lakers

An argument can be made that the Lakers have 2 out of the top 5 players in basketball. How many times in NBA history has that happened without it resulting in championships? Anwer’s pretty obvious.

Credit Rob Pelinka for making some solid moves with their latest free agency signings. This team now has the spacing which they desperately were looking for with the presence of Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma, they’ve got the additional playmaker with Rondo to take the pressure of Lebron and have added solid depth with the addition of Kentavious Calwell- Pope, Quinn Cook, Javale Macgee, Alex Caruso, and DeMarcus Cousins.

Although they’re still not a great team defensively, they still have multiple guys who can step up when needed and the second line of defense is in safe hands with the shot-blocking ability of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The multitude of guys in their rosters who’ve been in winning cultures, the fit of their offensive pieces, and their top tier talent are the three main reasons which put the Lakers in a real strong position to compete for banner 17.

However, shooting is one concern which they might have in stretches and figuring out a way around it will largely determine their success.