Los Angeles Lakers: 3 future rivalries to watch out for

3. Philadelphia 76ers

Well, The Process seem to be taking flight out East for the Philadelphia 76ers. Ben Simmons is healthy and playing well, and Joel Embiid looks great so far. Add in some vets like Amir Johnson, Trevor Booker, and J.J. Redick, and that’s a fair start to a new era of 76ers basketball. While Philly is a bit more ahead of schedule than the Los Angeles Lakers, this should make for a competitive rivalry in the near future.

In fact, some might even say it is a rivalry now. Both teams split the season series at one apiece, and those were some pretty entertaining games. In the most recent game between these two, Brandon Ingram hit the game-winning shot on a nice drive and kick-out by Lonzo Ball.

However, this rivalry may have started in the offseason. There was a time when Embiid, Simmons, and LaVar Ball were beefing with each other through Twitter. While the beef has since been squashed, it was still entertaining to see these young guys poke at their opponents, especially when the opposing player has a delusional yet entertaining father.

Beyond the Ball controversy, this has the potential to be a serious rivalry. Both squads feature young and talented players. On the Los Angeles Lakers there’s Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma. Meanwhile in Philly, there’s Embiid, Simmons and Robert Covington to deal with. And don’t forget, there’s still the matter of what Markelle Fultz will be in the future.

As both teams continue to grow, it will be interesting to see what free agents these two attract while building around their young talent. If things go well for both, this could be a future matchup in the NBA Finals. L.A. vs. Philly. Simmons vs. Ball. That alone sounds fun. However, only time will tell. But start getting used to seeing these two go at each other in the future, because it will be very entertaining to see these teams at their full potential.