NBA: Reasons for all 30 teams to be optimistic heading into 2021-22

Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo (Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo (Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
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Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

Portland Trail Blazers: Lillard hasn’t left…at least not yet

Another team that’s pretty hard to be optimistic about. They’ll be fine, they’ll win a good amount of games, but the fans want more than that and I don’t blame them. I like the addition of Larry Nance Jr., but he doesn’t move the needle for them as a contender.

GM Neil Olshey could finally be getting ready to make a big move (perhaps for Ben Simmons), but until then, the best thing Portland has going for them is that they still have Damian Lillard…for now.

Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James + Anthony Davis + any combination of players is a good team

The Lakers have an odd roster. In 2014 it would have been the best in the league. But in 2021? I’m not sure. There are certainly some fair reasons to question what they can do based on their age and potential fit on the court.

But for all the unknowns, what I do know is that if LeBron and Anthony Davis are healthy then I’m not sure the rest of the roster matters a whole heck of a lot. The Lakers are the clear favorite in the West and anything they get out of the non-LeBron/AD group is just icing on the cake.