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Las Vegas bookies currently have the Lakers at +400 odds of winning the 2022 NBA champion, behind the other super team Brooklyn Nets at +240. All other teams start at +900, so it looks like Vegas, along with the majority of fans, is anticipating an NBA Lakers final against the Nets next June.
Recently, NBA insider Marc Stein made his first power ranking on Sub stack and had the Lakers at a reasonable projection. The Lakers start at No.3 behind defending champion Milwaukee Bucks and Nets.
“I’m as skeptical as anyone about Russell Westbrook’s place in the Lakers’ new Big Three… putting pressure on coach Frank Vogel. But let’s be clear here: The outstanding Anthony Davis slander is overblown and misguided. If AD bounces well – and he should at 28 – this is your favorite in the Western Conference. “
Stein’s power rankings usually have the reigning champions starting at # 1, regardless of the circumstances. Most of us think that without the injuries of a multitude of superstars like James Harden and Anthony Davis, there would be a different defending champion. Many pundits have the Nets slightly superior to the 2020 champions, but that makes sense when you look at three of the league’s top eight players at the top, all playing together.
Much of the Lakers’ success will depend on their ability to extend the floor and kick the ball three-way at a constant rate. Unlike last season, if Anthony Davis and LeBron James are full at the end of April, they will have an excellent chance of winning No.18.
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