The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2020-21 season as the favorites to win the NBA Championship. The Lakers are no longer the favorites to win the Larry O’Brien trophy, as the star-studded Brooklyn Nets have surpassed the Lakers as the favorites.
It took the Nets adding James Harden as well as Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge to become the NBA title favorites as well as some bad luck for the Lakers. Anthony Davis has not played since Valentine’s Day and LeBron James will miss a total of 4-6 weeks with a high ankle sprain.
The Lakers are not healthy and the recent play shows. LA is 30-18 and is in fourth in the Western Conference. They are only half a game ahead of the sixth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, though.
There is no reason to worry as long as the Los Angeles Lakers get healthy in enough time. If that can happen, the Lakers will be the favorites to represent the West in the NBA Finals.
That is because the Los Angeles Lakers have certain advantages over every team in the Western Conference.
This is not a case of the Lakers have certain advantages over certain teams that they do not have over other teams. There are three specific advantages that the purple and gold have over every single other team in the Western Conference.
We really start to split hairs when we get to the playoffs and deal with elite basketball teams in a seven-game series. It is advantages like these that can decide a playoff series. They will help the Lakers get past their biggest challenges.
Let’s dive into the advantages.