- Charles Barkley says Lakers are among the short list of contenders
- Barkley believes Lakers got better after an offseason of signings
- Golden State Warriors are not considered among the elite
When considering the NBA championship favorites for next season, it’s still far too early to make any conclusions on where each team will land before it’s all said and done. This summer, while we witnessed various league-altering moves, many still only consider a few teams as contenders for the title next year.
According to NBA legend Charles Barkley, the list is only four teams long and includes the defending champs in Denver, the Celtics, and even the 76ers. He also named the Lakers after their summer of roster improvements.
“I was happy for Denver,” Barkley told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Getting a chance to see what the Joker (Nikola Jokic) could accomplish is phenomenal. It was great for the NBA,” Barkley said. “The Lakers have gotten better. There’s going to be some surprise teams. The Celtics are interesting, going out to get (Kristaps) Porzingis.”
Unlike in previous summers, the Lakers didn’t aim for any big-name stars this year. Instead, their focus was to fill out the bench by signing guys Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, and Gabe Vincent. With these moves, the Lakers not only got deeper, but they also got more flexible with their potential lineups, and it should help them adapt to any opponent.
Of course, the ultimate key for the Lakers is unlocking Anthony Davis and helping him stay consistent throughout the entire season.
AD Is The Leader Of The Lakers Now
With LeBron about to turn 39 in a few months, the Lakers aren’t going to get very far with him carrying the load and leading the show. Now, more than ever, Anthony Davis will need to step up if the Lakers want any chance of competing at the highest levels.
For what it’s worth, the organization seems very confident that he can lead them to glory.
“I wish the CBA allowed us to talk about negotiations,” said GM Rob Pelinka. “But there are pretty strict rules around that, so can’t really talk about contracts and negotiations, but couldn’t think more highly of Anthony Davis as a Laker and as a player. He’s helped deliver a championship to our franchise.”
Only time will tell how far the Lakers can go next season but they have everything they need to make history once again and nobody should be surprised if they are the last ones standing next June.
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