Ranking the top threats to Los Angeles Lakers’ championship dreams

LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard Paul George. Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard Paul George. Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /
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Los Angeles Lakers Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard
Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard. Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images /

As great as the Los Angeles Lakers have been this season, there are several NBA teams that could get in the way of them winning their 17th title come June.

Right now, the Los Angeles Lakers (and their fans) are living the good life. For the first time in nearly a decade, they’re seen as a team worth taking serious in the playoffs/Finals discussion. A new era has begun for the Lake Show, and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.

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Before you get too excited about their championship chances, though, consider that there’s still a long way to go before June. Injuries occur every night in the NBA, teams get hot and teams go cold. Dreams can be dashed in an instant. It’s not only life in the NBA, but life in the sports world as a whole. The Lakers know that, but fans pulling for them to hang their 17th banner aren’t as aware.

In hopes of reining the hype in a bit, I’ve decided to put together a short list of the top threats to the Lakers’ 2019-20 championship dreams. Ranked in order of potential to send the Lakers packing this postseason, these teams offer too much talent, chemistry and toughness to be overlooked by the Purple and Gold.

I’m not trying to be a buzzkill — I just want to set realistic expectations. The Lakers may be 22-3 right now, but things can change in a hurry in the NBA. All it takes is a tough matchup or rough series from someone like LeBron James or Anthony Davis to send this squad on an early vacation.

Here they are — the teams most likely to stand between the Lakers and their first championship since 2010.