NBA: 10 way-too-early predictions for the 2019-20 season

The Lakers will be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference

The Los Angeles Lakers made major headlines this summer by making some huge improvements to their roster. LA traded for Anthony Davis and nearly landed Kawhi Leonard. While they might not have succeeded in creating arguably the greatest Big Three to ever play together, the dynamic duo of Davis and LeBron James might be the best that the NBA has to offer this season.

And that will likely be enough to catapult this Lakers team to the top of the standings in the Western Conference – especially with the depleted Warriors. The Western Conference is up for grabs, and I believe we’ll begin to see the Lakers take a strong grip on it early on. Davis the exactly the player that LeBron needs by his side at this point in his career, and after a shorter-than-usual workload this past season, there’s a good chance that we see a revitalized James in 2019-20.

Even with the Los Angeles Clippers landing both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, all eyes will be on LeBron and the Lakers this season – as it normally is. And unlike last season, the Lakers are not in a position where they can disappoint.

There are no more excuses for LeBron or the Lakers. They might’ve not had a star-studded roster last season, but that is no longer the case. With arguably the best duo in the league, the Lakers can’t afford to fall short of expectations.

And they won’t.