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Los Angeles Lakers: 4 predictions for 2021-22 you can take to the bank

By Addam Goldman

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 15: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers talk on the court in the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on May 15, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 15: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers talk on the court in the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on May 15, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

The Los Angeles Lakers will win the west

The Clippers are limping into next season as All-Star Kawhi rehabs his partially torn right ACL.

The Denver Nuggets are down starting point guard Jamal Murray, who continues to recover from his torn ACL.

The Warriors are expected to be without All-Star Klay Thompson until the end of December, and nobody knows what he’ll look like upon his return after missing two years.

That leaves the Lakers, Jazz, and Suns left standing to compete for the number one seed in the west.

The Suns and Jazz are excellent teams, but they can’t offer the top-end talent (Westbrook, James, and Davis) the Lakers can. There are only two factors that will stop the Lakers from finishing first in the west: health and motivation. I’ve already gone on record saying the Lakers aren’t as old as most folks seem to believe. And I predict the Lakers will be highly motivated this season, 2019 style.

After the Lakers got whomped by opposing team after opposing team throughout a humiliating 2018 season. Lakers management (plus LeBron James) fired Luke Walton, brought in Frank Vogel, and traded for Anthony Davis. The Purple and Gold started off the 2019 season by holding a pre-training camp in Las Vegas, then came into the real training camp with a purpose and stomped through the league on their way to the number one seed.

The Lakers struggled throughout last season and wound up playing their way into the playoffs by beating the Golden State Warriors before losing in the first round to the Suns. Lakers management didn’t fire head coach Frank Vogel, but did pull off another wild trade, eventually landing Russell Westbrook. And LeBron James just hosted another pre-training camp in Las Vegas. Sound familiar so far?

50 greatest Lakers of all-time. dark. Next

The parallels are eerily similar. If the pattern continues, the Los Angeles Lakers will once again come out of the gate swinging and once again stomp through the league on the way to the number one seed in the west.

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