13. Los Angeles Lakers
The good news for the Los Angeles Lakers is that they're in a much better position at this point in the season than they were last year. The bad news is that even though the Lakers have been better to start this season, they're still a large gap between the likes of the Denver Nuggets and a fringe contender like the Lakers. Until that gap is filled, at best through a splash of a trade at the deadline, the Lakers are still going to be considered good but not great.
Even though the Lakers are turning in some good results, there are some warning signs about the team. They have one of the most inconsistent offenses in the league and an average defense. The Lakers may have a winning record but they have a negative net rating. All the evidence surrounding this team suggests they're not a good team.
It feels like the Lakers need to make another big trade deadline move in order to spark the team into the second half of the season. Stats don't lie and sooner or later, their record is going to reflect what the statistics say about this team.