NBA Pretenders or Contenders: The Lakers, Nets are for real; Are the 76ers?

Playing a game of NBA pretenders or contenders with the teams with the best records 

A little more than a quarter of the way through the 2020-21 NBA season, this is an ideal time to take a step back and look at the landscape of the league. Many teams are beginning to separate themselves from the rest of the conference, giving us a better look at which teams are true contenders and which have absolutely fallen flat on their faces to start the year.

From the defending Los Angeles Lakers picking up where they left off to a team such as the Miami Heat falling off due to a myriad of reasons, there are a number of team-driven storylines to draw from thus far in the year.

So, who are the true contenders, and which teams are nothing more than championship pretenders?

NBA Pretenders of Contenders

We’ll begin in the Eastern Conference, where there are four candidates for this game. In the Western Conference, there are six candidates for the game. Let’s divide the rest of the conference into subsections before, however.