The Los Angeles Lakers will be back in the hunt for the NBA championship next season. The 2020 NBA champs have majorly revamped their squad after their disappointing 2020-21 NBA season. The Lakers struggled with major injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis during the last season.
And the rest of the squad was not able to perform well during their absence. Because of this, the Lakers fell to the eighth spot in the Western Conference and had to reach the NBA Playoffs through the Play-In tournament.
They beat the Golden State Warriors in an all-time classic matchup. But against the Phoenix Suns, they collapsed and were knocked out in the first round.
The Lakers immediately began to plan for the new season. They made a lot of moves during the offseason, firstly trading for Russell Westbrook in order to form a big three in LA that can compete with the Brooklyn Nets.
On top of that, the Lakers signed several veteran players like Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, and Kent Bazemore.
Understanding the need for youth, the Lakers also signed Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn to add more depth to the squad. The lakers are now one of the favorites to win the NBA title next season, thanks to their super team.
Recognizing how must-see the Lakers will be, the NBA has chosen to capitalize on it. The Los Angeles Lakers will have 42 nationally televised games during the NBA season.
With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, we are primetime baby 😎 pic.twitter.com/28zxAuILo8
— LakeShow (@LakeShowCP) August 20, 2021
The Lakers have the most nationally televised games going into next season, with the Warriors, Nets, and Bucks right behind them. The Lakers are one of the NBA’s biggest franchises and championship contenders. So them being on top of this list comes as no surprise.
NBA Nationally Televised Games Per Team:
Los Angeles Lakers: 42
Golden State Warriors: 41
Brooklyn Nets: 37
Milwaukee Bucks: 36
Boston Celtics: 33
Phoenix Suns: 33
New York Knicks: 29
Los Angeles Clippers: 27
Philadelphia 76ers: 27
Dallas Mavericks: 26
Utah Jazz: 26
Denver Nuggets: 25
Miami Heat: 22
Atlanta Hawks: 19
New Orleans Pelicans: 16
Portland Trail Blazers: 15
Chicago Bulls: 11
Memphis Grizzlies: 11
Charlotte Hornets: 8
Sacramento Kings: 6
San Antonio Spurs: 6
Toronto Raptors: 6
Washington Wizards: 6
Detroit Pistons: 5
Indiana Pacers: 5
Cleveland Cavaliers: 4
Houston Rockets: 4
Minnesota Timberwolves: 4
Oklahoma City Thunder: 4
Orlando Magic: 4
The Lakers will have a lot of pressure on them next season to win the title. Given how they’ve built their team, the expectation will be for them to at least make a deep run in the playoffs and reach the NBA Finals. And with the team that they have assembled, it would be a shock if they weren’t able to do so.
