5. The Los Angeles Lakers will make offseason improvments to (hopefully) try and repeat
First, the Los Angeles Lakers need to win the NBA Championship before we talk about repeating as champs. So let’s hope that they get that out of the way so this article does not look like a freezing cold take.
Even with a championship, though, the Lakers have shown in the NBA Playoffs that they are going to need to add improvements in the offseason to win another championship. It sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but hear me out.
The Lakers have been the best team of the NBA Playoffs, period. Both the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers blew it in the second round and if the Lakers win the NBA Title then they will have beaten the two teams that those two cannot beat.
Because of that, the Lakers are going to have a target on their backs. If you are not getting better in this league then you are moving backwards and the Lakers know that.
Plus, we have gotten actual, tangible evidence that the Lakers might need a third star next season. LeBron James has been great in the playoffs but he has had a few clunker games where another scoring threat would be nice. That will only get worse in next year’s playoffs.
Not saying LeBron is going to be bad, but there is room for improvement.
Plus, there are going to be new contenders in the fold. The Brooklyn Nets will be a legitimate contender with a healthy Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and the Golden State Warriors will unodubtedly return to the NBA Playoffs.
What is scary about the Los Angeles Lakers is that they have been the best team in the NBA Playoffs and arguably have not even been playing their best basketball at all times. Imagine if they get even better.