ESPN has just released the last bit of their annual Top 100 players in the NBA, and to say that the Los Angeles Lakers are well represented would be a complete understatement. As a matter of fact, ESPN has ranked LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the Top 2 players in the entire league for the upcoming season.
It doesn't need one to have a crystal ball to predict that both LeBron James and Anthony Davis would figure in the Top 5, but it still comes as a bit of a surprise that they have been ranked one and two, respectively. Lakers fans aren't complaining, though.
James, who ranked third last year, is entering the 18th year of his career, and despite already being 35 years young (he's going to be 36 this December), there seems to be no signs of slowing down for the four-time league MVP. How many times in the past have seen a 36-year-old vet rank as the absolute best player in the entire league?
For his part, Davis, 27, is at the prime of his career, and he's emerged as one of the best big men in the NBA today — the very best if you ask ESPN. He leapt three spots to No. 2 from being ranked fifth last season.
It is also worth noting that four other Laker players were included in the second half of the list (places 51 to 100). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (77) was one of them, while three offseason additions also cracked the list in Marc Gasol (96), Dennis Schroder (79), and Montrezl Harrell (76). Needless to say, the defending champs have some of the best players in the entire NBA in their roster for the upcoming season.
This is exactly why more than a few pundits still have the Lakers as the favorites for the 2021 title. It's by no means going to be an easy road ahead for the Purple & Gold as they hope to defend their crown, but on paper at least, they appear to have the necessary tools to do so.
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