The West got weaker as a whole
Looking as a whole, you could make a strong argument that the Lakers’ competition in the Western Conference got weaker. On paper, nearly every team that the Lakers will have to get through in the West took somewhat of a step back during the offseason.
The Golden State Warriors will welcome back a healthy Stephen Curry but Klay Thompson was already lost for the year and who knows what the team could really expect from rookie James Wiseman. The Denver Nuggets lost Jerami Grant in free agency, the LA Clippers lost Montrezl Harrell and are expected to trade Lou Williams, and the Houston Rockets are a mess (with both James Harden and Russell Westbrook looking for a change of scenery).
Entering the season, the Lakers will be the prohibitive favorites to come out of the West and win the 2021 championship as a whole.
Assuming LeBron is still playing at a high level, and that Anthony Davis can remain healthy, who is beating the Lakers in a seven-game series in the Western Conference.