The second half of this year’s NBA season was one that no one could predict. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic had much to do with that, from playing in a bubble, using a new playoff format and everything in between, the season was downright weird.
Not only was the structure odd, but results on the court were somewhat out of sorts and certainly unpredictable.
You’d be hard pressed to find someone pre-playoffs who picked the Heat, who was no more than a sleeper to keep an eye on entering the bubble, to make it to the NBA Finals. Or even someone who said the Denver Nuggets will make it to the Western Conference Finals and deny the two star-studded Los Angeles teams from squaring off. But that’s how it turned out.
Despite all the madness, it was the Lakers, the most popular preseason pick to win it all, who were hoisting the trophy down in the Orlando bubble. With so much uncertainty in future seasons, both with COVID-19 and how NBA rosters will look, I see no reason to bet against the Lakers in the coming seasons.
You can make any excuse you want to downgrade this Lakers title — the bubble, the opponents it faced, injuries. But when at their peak, specifically defensively, there was no denying who the best team in the league was in Orlando.
The two-headed monster of LeBron James and Anthony Davis could arguably be the most talented duo this league has ever seen. Sure, the surrounding core wasn’t perfect, but the pieces certainly fell into place when it mattered most. And the scary part for the rest of the league is that the rest of Los Angeles’ roster could be much better come next season.
People always talk about LeBron’s age and a possible decline in production, but I sure didn’t see any signs of him slowing down in the next couple years during the playoffs. What I saw was some of the smartest and most dominant basketball he’s ever played in his career, and it sure doesn’t hurt having Davis as his wingman.
With these two generational talents set in stone, it’s tough for me to envision an NBA Finals in the next few seasons that doesn’t include the Lakers. While the Western Conference has several interesting teams that can pose serious threats, it won’t be easy to pick against Los Angeles’ top two.
In the Eastern Conference, a lot remains to be seen with how the top teams will shake out for the years to come.
Teams like the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks have been spotty in recent playoff runs, leaving some doubt on what their true championship potential really is. The Brooklyn Nets are a huge wild card considering the Kevin Durant injury and the newness of their roster’s assembly — the Los Angeles Clippers showed us in the playoffs how that recipe doesn't always work.
The safest Eastern Conference bet may then be the Heat, with Jimmy Butler still in his prime and a strong young core growing around him. Still, injuries and all, the Heat severely struggled to hang with the Lakers when they were playing its best basketball.
With all that being said, moves can be made and the NBA landscape can drastically change like it has in recent years. Trade and free agent doors could open in ways we don’t expect, and opposing title contenders can certainly inch closer to the Lakers. But with the way things look right now, I see a heavy dose of purple and gold for the NBA’s foreseeable future.
