Getty LeBron James guarding Kevin Durant.
The offseason is still young but it looks there’s a good chance the NBA could get shaken up quite a bit. If the Los Angeles Lakers retain Anthony Davis, they should remain the favorites to win the championship once again. However, there are plenty of teams that are going to try and make sure that doesn’t happen.
The Brooklyn Nets are one team that is bound to be significantly better this upcoming season. Kevin Durant didn’t play a single minute last season and Kyrie Irving was banged up for a lot of the year. Even with just those two getting healthy, the team should be contenders but it looks like they’re trying to get even better.
According to multiple reports, the Nets are trying to pull off a trade for former MVP James Harden. That might seem like overkill for what should be a talented team but Durant knows the Lakers are going to be hard to beat. Per Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard, Los Angeles is playing a role in why Durant is pushing Brooklyn to land Harden.
“Part of what I’m hearing is that KD is saying ‘look, how are we gonna beat those two studs with the Lakers – Anthony Davis and LeBron?'” Broussard said Tuesday on The Herd. “And it’s like ‘we need a third star that they don’t have,’ and that’s part of the impetus for all of this Harden talk because here’s the thing … The Lakers are going to be better.”
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Do the Nets Need Harden to Beat the Lakers?
While the Lakers were very impressive last season, the NBA is about to get a lot tougher. The Milwaukee Bucks have upgraded their roster, the Golden State Warriors and Nets should be healthy and the Clippers should at least be a bit better. Brooklyn is probably the biggest wild card of any team this season. We haven’t seen what Durant and Irving can do together.
They’re going to be good but it remains to be seen if they have enough to beat a team like the Lakers. Davis and LeBron form a lethal duo and they’ve done a good job of building a team around them. The Nets will be good but it makes sense why Durant wants Harden. His team doesn’t have anybody who can slow down Davis so they might as well just try to outscore the Lakers.
Will the Lakers Be Better This Season?
Typically when teams add so many new pieces to a roster, it takes time to figure things out. Just look at the Clippers of last year. However, the Lakers hit the ground running and never stopped. It unprecedented how quickly the team meshed. With another year together for many of the guys, it’s hard to imagine the team will be any worse.
Plus, the addition of Dennis Schroder shouldn’t be underestimated. He’s one of the best sixth-men in the NBA and gives the Lakers a legit third scorer. LeBron is only getting older but he showed no signs of slowing down. If he can keep playing at a high level, the Lakers should be the best team in the NBA once again.
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