The NBA has released their power rankings for all the teams as the 2020-21 season is set to kick off tomorrow night. The defending champs, Los Angeles Lakers, have maintained the number 1 spot. They are followed by the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 2, the Denver Nuggets at No. 3, the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 4, and the Miami Heat at No. 5.
According to Vegas Insider, the Lakers are a +275 favorite to win the championship this season and go back to back. They’re followed by the Clippers and Bucks at +550. Winning another title would result in the franchise’s 18th championship putting them ahead of the Celtics’ 17 championships.
In the offseason, the Lakers were able to somehow make their team even better after winning a title. They lost players like Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley, Javale McGee, and Danny Green but were able to replace them with Dennis Schröder, Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harell, Wesley Matthews, and resign KCP. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kyle Kuzma signed extension contracts with the team as well.
Rob Pelinka put all of this together and now the Lakers are in a position where they can compete for championships in the coming years. After just two months and eleven days, the shortest NBA offseason has come to an end. The Lakers are set to have their ring ceremony tomorrow night and play against the Clippers in the season opener.
