I just don’t think the Lakers are good. Even at full strength I see them as maybe a 5 or 6 seed that could steal a round 1 win. They just aren’t that talented. Now if they end up trading Westbrook and those 2 1sts for something, I might change my mind. As is, I can’t see them getting past round 2 in the west.

The clippers are absolutely stacked.

Kawhi, PG, Powell, Zubac, Covington, Morris, Batum, Wall, Mann, Jackson, Kennard, Coffey, Boston…they are legitimately 12-13 deep. Ya if Kawhi and PG miss the entire season again they won’t be contenders. But they’d still be a .500ish team. But I’m factoring in a relatively healthy season for them(and all teams in my prediction).

Maybe I should’ve worded it differently in my OP, but I’m dinging the Lakers more for their lack of depth. They can’t even survive a short while without LeBron/AD. Even if they get both of them for 60 games this year, they are gonna go like 7-15 when at least one is out. 35-25 is doable when they both play and that gets them to 42-40. That’s about what I expect.

I think LAC would go above .500 with one of Kawhi/PG sitting. Like 13-9. Then they go 40-20 with both playing. That makes them 53-29.