NBA Pretenders or Contenders: Los Angeles Lakers
ORTG: 112.8 (7th)
DRTG: 104.4 (1st)
NetRTG: 8.3 (3rd)
What can we say? Not only are the Los Angeles Lakers contenders but they’re probably the favorites to win the 2021 NBA Championship altogether. The great thing about the Lakers is that they not only didn’t lose much off a championship roster, but they also improved.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis look as good as ever, and the additions of Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell have paid dividends. Assuming this team can avoid the injury bug, the Lakers will enter the playoffs, homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs or not, as a heavy favorite.
It’s hard to win back-to-back championships in the NBA and it’s something that LeBron James is trying to do for the second time in his career. The good news is that the Lakers did all the things teams need to do in order to have a good shot at repeating. Now it’s all about making it happen in the postseason.
Verdict: Contenders