With the new NBA season about to kick start very soon, there is no doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers will face stiff competition as they aim to go for a second straight championship led by Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
The Lakers had a busy offseason getting the likes of Dennis Schröder, Marc Gasol, and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell which on paper looks like an improved team that can successfully defend the title. However, it is worth noting that other contenders weren’t sitting idly as well during free agency and there’s nothing more that they want than to deny the Lakers a potential championship dynasty.
For this piece, let’s take a look at five NBA teams that can challenge the Lakers for the title in the upcoming season.
1. Miami Heat
The Miami Heat surprised everyone last season, when they finished as runner ups during the 2020 NBA Bubble. Although this team wasn’t the most star-studded, the Heat were a force to be reckoned with. Led by All-Star Jimmy Butler, the team dominated top Eastern contenders like the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Boston Celtics despite entering the postseason as the number five seed. This only goes to show how underrated the Heat are. Because of this, there is no doubt the Heat can do it again in the upcoming season.
Although the Heat fell short against the Lakers in the NBA Finals earlier this year, the team suffered an injury bug that affected their vital cogs in Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo which ultimately reduced their chances. Nevertheless, the team was still able to push the Lakers to six games with a relatively depleted roster.
The Heat haven’t made some major offseason changes to their roster, but they did sign Moe Harkless and Avery Bradley. Furthermore, they also kept the core intact by giving Adebayo a huge extension and re-signing Dragic which gives them the chance further improve upon their performance last season.
Should the Heat continue to play like a complete team while staying healthy, there is no doubt that this Jimmy Butler-led South Beach team has the ability to dethrone the Lakers in the upcoming NBA season.
2. Denver Nuggets
Another contender that the Lakers faced in the Playoffs during the bubble, the Denver Nuggets will certainly be a threat once again this year. After accomplishing a historic feat of coming back from 1-3 deficits in two straight playoff series, there is no question that the Nuggets will try to get to the Finals this time around after they were booted out by the Lakers in five games in the Western Conference Finals.
It is worth noting, however, that the Nuggets may be a different team this time around given that they lost a crucial player in Jerami Grant. For the team, Grant was a two way player that could space the floor on offense while also being a reliable defender. Fortunately, the team still managed to get key acquisitions to support their dynamic duo in Nikola Jokic and Jamaal Murray when they got JaMychal Green and Argentina star Facundo Campazzo. In addition to that, they were also able to keep key players in Paul Millsap and Monte Morris.
NBA fans may not know Campazzo as well yet, but his magical passes and quickness will certainly put the league on notice. Furthermore, pairing him with another great passer in Jokic will give opposing teams like the Lakers a huge headache.
Aside from their new additions, the Nuggets also have up-and-coming players like Bol Bol and Michael Porter Jr. to give additional firepower to Jokic and Murray’s one-two punch. If the Lakers have a bad playoff series, there’s no question the Nuggets have the tools to get past the Purple and Gold to reach the Finals or to even win it all.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are arguably one of the teams that came under negative light during Free Agency. The root of their problem, of course, is the contract situation of Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the hopes of keeping the reigning league MVP, team management gave up steady guards in Eric Bledsoe and George Hill. In addition to this, they also placed their future on the line by giving up their first round picks in 2020, 2025, and 2027 in exchange for All-Star guard Jrue Holiday. The Bucks were also part of the Bogdan Bogdanovic fiasco that didn’t allow the sharpshooting guard to land in Milwaukee.
Although it was a lot of negative offseason events for the Bucks, the Bucks are still a team that took the number one seed in the Eastern Conference for the past two seasons. Furthermore, Antetokounmpo hasn’t really made an official decision yet as to whether he will stay or not. As long as they have the reigning MVP in their roster this season, the Bucks are certainly a championship contender which is why his teammates have made their efforts to convince him to stay.
The league MVP has made it clear in the past that he wants to win a championship and he has a decent chance of winning one, especially with All-Stars like Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. It is worth noting that the Bucks may not have the firepower that the Lakers possess, however, stopping the Greek Freak will be a huge task that even elite teams have trouble dealing with. If Giannis can stay committed while the Bucks’ key players step up, we just might see Antetokounmpo win his first championship. But then again, the thought of playing elsewhere and stopping not only LeBron James but also Anthony Davis in the NBA Finals will be great obstacles for the Bucks to win it all in the upcoming season.
4. Brooklyn Nets
If there is a team that can match the star power of the Lakers, there is no question that the Brooklyn Nets can keep in step. With Kevin Durant finally making a return in the upcoming season, there is no doubt that the potential of a Durant and Kyrie Irving team-up can give opposing teams like the Lakers terrible nights.
Durant and Irving has showed in the past that they are capable of posting MVP numbers. Furthermore, the Nets have surrounded Irving and Durant with up and coming young players such as Joe Harris, Caris Levert, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jarrett Allen. The team also managed to get veteran Jeff Green in the offseason.
The Nets are obviously not in shortage of talent, as they have a handful of players outside of KD and Kyrie that can be also be a threat on any given night. Because of this, Brooklyn might just be a legitimate championship contender that can give the Lakers a handful should they meet in the Finals.
The only knock on the Nets is how good KD will be once he gets back in the league. Durant hasn’t played an official NBA game since the 2019 NBA Finals which could be a cause of concern. Furthermore, there’s no question a torn achilles has historically limited superstars including the late Kobe Bryant. Aside from this, Irving’s ability to stay healthy is also problem the Nets must deal with given how the All-Star guard has missed a huge chunk of last season due to a season-ending shoulder injury.
Nevertheless with Durant and Irving on board alongside a mix of talented players, there is no question that this team has the firepower to deny the Lakers its second straight championship, on paper at the very least.
5. Los Angeles Clippers
Another team that can rival the Lakers is the Los Angeles Clippers, the other L.A. based team. The Clippers drew a lot of flak after a disappointing season last time around when they blew a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets given that they were expected to even win the championship in 2020 or to at least meet LeBron James and the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
Now with a new season upon us, the Clippers will undoubtedly have one of the biggest chips on their shoulder. As a team, they will be aiming to redeem themselves after an early exit in this year’s playoffs. A team that’s hungry combined with talent can certainly give the Lakers a tough series that could prevent them from going for a two-peat. Led by the duo of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, the team has the tools to win a championship especially after re-signing Marcus Morris and signing Serge Ibaka during free agency. Ibaka will provide the Clippers a defensive anchor and at the same time, a stretch big that can space the floor. However, the biggest offseason move made by the Clippers was dismissing Coach Doc Rivers and letting champion coach Tyronn Lue take the head coaching position. Whether this will affect the team positively, it will be revealed once the new season starts to unfold.
Nevertheless, if the Kawhi and PG can show their best form next season while guys like Morris and Ibaka do the dirty work, then there is no doubt that not only can they get past the Lakers in the West but also break the “Clippers Curse” that has prevented them from reaching the pinnacle of the NBA.
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