The Los Angeles Lakers’ biggest threat from the East may be the Brooklyn Nets.
The Los Angeles Lakers bested the Miami Heat in six games in the 2020 NBA Finals and if the purple and gold return to the finals in 2021 then they very well could be squaring off against Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.
While the Nets are going to be one of the most compelling teams to watch in the league this season, the Lakers are still the perennial NBA title favorites — and for good reason.
We don’t have to convince Laker fans that this team is good, but we are going to anyway. As part of an ongoing series here at Lake Show Life, I am exploring the distinct advantages that the Lakers have over each other team.
Let’s get into a potential NBA Finals opponent, the Brooklyn Nets.
1. A more cohesive superstar duo on the Los Angeles Lakers
Those that read the Los Angeles Clippers themed piece may notice similarities between the Nets and Clippers already. Quite frankly, the Lakers have the best superstar duo in the league, so this case can be made for any team.
It’s a little different here, though, as I do think the ceiling for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving is higher than Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. If we get MVP Durant, with Kyrie’s playoff experience and success, then Brooklyn’s superstar duo looks really good.
The one drawback is how these two will play together. Kyrie has not garnered the reputation of being easy to play with, while KD is absolutely the alpha dog on the team.
Will they co-exist enough not just to get along but to maximize their abilities? Only time will tell. We know for certain that AD and LeBron will co-exist just fine.