6. Los Angeles Lakers
The fact that the Los Angeles Lakers were able to completely turn their season around a year ago is not something that is talked about or praised enough. The Lakers went from a team that looked dead in the water and one that was not a guarantee to even make the playoffs to a team that made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals, beating the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors en route.
After retooling their supporting cast once more this offseason, there’s a chance that the Lakers could once again be in the mix in the West. However, the big question revolves around the health of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. When those two players are healthy, the Lakers are predictably really good. When they’re even banged up, the Lakers haven’t been all that competitive.
Quite frankly, even after all the moves the Lakers made this offseason, their season likely comes down to AD and LeBron. I’m not sure if the Lakers have enough talent to win a championship this season but they’ll likely certainly be in the conversation once again this year.