Biggest threat to the Los Angeles Lakers: #1: Brooklyn Nets
The final team that may put an end to the Los Angeles Lakers championship run is the Brooklyn Nets. Coming into the season, the Nets had the second-best odds to win the Finals. However, they have transformed their roster into one of the best that the league has ever seen.
The Nets Lakers could have been an amazing rivalry headlined by LeBron and AD vs KD and Kyrie. After the moves that the Nets made, they are on paper the best team in the NBA by far.
They traded some of their youth and depth in a blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Nets. They replaced the depth that they lost in the trade with buyout signings of Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge.
These moves have made the Nets the favorites to win the NBA championship. Their bench depth is comparable with that of the Lakers. Along with this, they have two MVP candidates and a superstar in Harden, Durant, and Irving.
The X-Factor in this series would be Anthony Davis. The Nets do not have the size to defend both James and Davis. It is likely that Durant will guard one of the two Laker stars and the weight of the Finals will fall on the shoulders of the other.
Although they are down on paper, the Lakers have some of the best chemistry in the league and the intangibles could be enough for them to best the Nets in the Finals. However, if they do face off in the championship, the Nets will by far be the biggest obstacle for the Lakers.