The Los Angeles Lakers are still many people’s pick to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. The purple and gold have to get healthy first, but when healthy, they are absolutely the team to beat in the West.
However, the gap is thinner now than it was before the season began. Part of the reason is some players on the Lakers not living up to expectations, while another part of the reason is that other teams have simply gotten better.
The Lakers finally made an addition in signing recently-bought-out Andre Drummond. Drummond was the biggest post-deadline buyout player and the Lakers landed the former all-star to fill a big roster need. That is huge for the Lakers.
But still, there certainly are threats to dethrone the Lakers for the top spot in the Western Conference. Here are the five biggest threats.
Biggest threats to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference: 5. Dallas Mavericks
Key additions: JJ Redick, Nicolo Melli
JJ Redick was a nice addition for a team that needed shooting after making a really poor trade of Josh Richardson for Seth Curry in the offseason. Nicolo Melli is good depth in the frontcourt as well that can help the Dallas Mavericks stretch the floor.
Even though they appear in this article, the Mavs are not much of a legitimate threat to the Lakers. It would take Luka Doncic playing at an insane level and Kristaps Porzingis returning to his old form for Dallas to overcome the Lakers in a seven-game playoff series.
However, they do still crack the top five, albeit there is a level dividing them and the rest of the teams that are a threat to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks are an even matchup if one of LeBron James or Anthony Davis is hurt. At full strength, the Lakers should not be too worried about Dallas.
Biggest threats to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference: 4. Utah Jazz
Key additions: Matt Thomas
The Utah Jazz did not really make any key additions at the NBA trade deadline as the only move was for Matt Thomas, who is not really bringing anything other than another body on the bench from the Toronto Raptors.
That has nothing to do with ranking the team with the best record in the NBA as the fourth biggest threat. Yes, the Jazz have been fantastic this season, I just do not find myself losing much sleep over the idea of a seven-game series against Utah.
They are a pesky team and it certainly would take everything in the Lakers to get past Utah but I do not see a path in which the Jazz could beat a fully-healthy Lakers team in a playoff series. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are a far better superstar duo and Davis typically goes right after Rudy Gobert and neutralizes his defense.
Plus, I do not like the role players in Utah. Guys like Jordan Clarkson are not going to be as impactful in the playoffs as his defense is simply too poor to play him for too many minutes. LeBron and the Lakers would absolutely expose his defensive flaws.
The Jazz are a good team and they will give any team in the entire league a hard-fought seven-game series. But at the end of the day, they remind me more of the 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks, who were swept by LeBron’s Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, than they do a team like the 2013-2014 San Antonio Spurs.
Biggest threats to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference: 3. Phoenix Suns
Key additions: Torrey Craig
The Phoenix Suns brought in Torrey Craig shortly before the NBA trade deadline and he is far from a big addition to the team. He is the only addition the team made though, so he gets referenced here in this article.
The Phoenix Suns are more of a threat to the Los Angeles Lakers than the Utah Jazz and I still do not think the Suns would have much of a chance against a fully-healthy Lakers team. As we have already stated, that is not a guarantee and the Suns could defeat the Lakers if one of Anthony Davis and LeBron James is out.
MORE: Why Rob Pelinka did the right thing at the NBA trade deadline
Chris Paul is exactly the player the Suns needed to add. He may not put them over the top as a title-winning team but establishing a winning culture in Phoenix and getting the young players playoff experience is extremely beneficial.
This is going to be huge for Devin Booker and suddenly, Phoenix might become a destination for a future all-star, not a team that nobody wants to play for.
The Suns’ defense is going to keep them in every single game but the Lakers have good defense as well and I do not think that Phoenix has the offensive firepower to keep up with LA. If Devin Booker goes nuclear that is one thing, but that is a rather large if.
Biggest threats to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference: 2. Los Angeles Clippers
Key additions: Rajon Rondo
Now we are getting into teams that could actually defeat the Los Angeles Lakers at full strength. I am not predicting that these teams will beat the Lakers, but I do think that if a few things fall their way, in the right playoff series, both the Los Angeles Clippers and the first team on this list could beat the Lakers in a seven-game playoff series.
The Clippers are an interesting team. If everything is going right for the Clippers then they are one of the toughest teams to match up with in the entire league. They have the best two-way wings in the NBA in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George with several guys around them that can hit open shots and a big man in Ivica Zubac that can hold his own.
If Playoff P does not show up again and the shooters are hitting their shots then the Clippers are a dangerous team. If Playoff P does show up and the shooters are anything but red-hot then the Clippers should be concerned. Quite frankly, they have too many one-way players around Kawhi and George, and that can burn them in the playoffs.
As far as their key addition, I actually liked the Rajon Rondo move for them. It is always fun to tease the Clippers but this was a good move in my opinion. Sure, Rondo has not been great in the regular season but they traded a guy in Lou Williams who is really bad defensively and is not going to be playable against a team like the Lakers.
In return, they got someone who was just the third-best player on a title-winning team. Playoff Rondo is a real thing and even if he does not come out for the Clippers, it is not like Williams was going to make any difference.
Biggest threats to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference: 1. Denver Nuggets
Key additions: Aaron Gordan, JaVale McGee
Against the Los Angeles Clippers, I still give the Los Angeles Lakers around a 75-80% chance of winning a playoff series (it sounds low, but that is really high for a potential Western Conference Finals matchup).
The highest I can give the Lakers against the Denver Nuggets is 50%. It could really go either way if these two teams square off in the playoffs and I know that is not what Lakers fans want to hear but I have to be objective in my analysis.
Nikola Jokic is playing phenomenally and the Lakers do not match up that well against him. Getting Andre Drummond is absolutely massive for the team, but Jokic is still going to play at an elite level and if he heats up like he did before playing the Lakers last year then the team better watch out.
If bubble Jamal Murray, who is really starting to heat up, returns then that just gives the Nuggets that second primary scorer to throw at the Lakers. Throw in Michael Porter Jr, who is one year better, and the fourth option in Aaron Gordon and the Nuggets have the depth to keep up with the Lakers.
Gordon is a bit overrated but he went to just the right team. He went somewhere where he can be the fourth scoring option and still get his chances. If Denver utilizes Gordon for what he is good at, being a slasher and a slightly above-average defender, then that is a dangerous pick-up for the team.
Denver’s defense is not the greatest but it got better with Gordon and they have the offensive firepower to keep up with LA.
Matchups make playoff series and the Nuggets have to like how they match up.