Cherished ESPN Analyst Leaves Lakers Out of Top West Contenders List

Everyone is entitled to their opinion I guess..

With the summer starting to head into August, we are getting ever so close to basketball returning. The summer league is over and now it's just a waiting game until training camp starts. 

Most teams have their rosters set for the most part and now they will begin putting things in place to get ready for the season. But this is when the fun starts and predictions start to come out. 

The Western Conference in the NBA looks to be a bloodbath once again this coming season. With the defending champions in the Denver Nuggets leading the charge, it won't be easy. There are many great teams but one ESPN analyst views the top West teams in an interesting way. 

JJ Redick left the Los Angeles Lakers off his top three in the West but included a team that the Lakers took down in the playoffs this past season.

JJ Redick named his contenders for the West (Suns, Nuggets, Grizzlies)

No mention of the Lakers but yea Memphis with Ja gone 25 games has a better chance, and Suns with point guard Bradley Beal and Vet mins to fill the roster🔥😈

Lakers made it to the WCF and just upgraded… pic.twitter.com/4bWqOMCrZG

— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) July 19, 2023

Despite the Lakers reaching the Western Conference Finals last season and then proceeding to upgrade the roster, they are left off his list. Now I can agree with Denver and Phoenix but putting Memphis over LA makes little sense. 

The Lakers just dominated Memphis in the playoffs and somehow they get put ahead of them. But it is what it is because in the grand scheme of things, the opinion of Redick doesn't equal what will happen on the court. 

The Grizzlies are a great team and could be better than the Lakers next season. But when healthy, I'm taking LA in that matchup. The Lakers are a deep and versatile team that will cause matchup issues for opponents.

If they can stay healthy then the Lakers will be a problem again next season. This is just summer talk and if the Lakers do go on to be successful next season, this will just be receipts to look back on.

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