Just months after winning the Championship, many questions have surfaced about the Los Angeles Lakers and their chances to win the title going forward.
With LeBron turning 36 later this month, and the West growing more competitive, there are many who aren’t sold they can win it again before LeBron James eventually retires.
As for the experts at ESPN, they don’t seem to have much doubt. In an ESPN prediction for the upcoming season, a panel of analysts overwhelmingly chose LA as the team most likely to win the title this upcoming season, beating the Clippers, Bucks, and Nets with 86% first-place votes.
Our experts think there's a strong chance of the Lakers going back-to-back 🏆
Full NBA predictions: (ESPN+) https://t.co/vizYb60a9U pic.twitter.com/dlByCLxcxT
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 15, 2020
Last year, the Lakers proved they could win with their LeBron/Davis duo. This summer, they got even better by adding key players like Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroder, and Wesley Matthews. With their new, re-vamped roster, they seem poised to match their success from last season.
In fact, the ESPN panel isn’t the only one to project the Lakers winning it all. NBA star Gilbert Arenas said this not too long ago:
Shannon: “What’s your early prediction of 2021?”
Arenas: “Uh, back to back.”
But things might not be as easy this campaign, as they will have to face new challenges, re-tooled opponents, and a target on their back all season long.
