The 2020-21 NBA Season is now underway and the forecasts on which will dominate the campaign are also coming in. In the west, the Los Angeles Lakers as reigning champs are touted to top the conference and in the east, it's likely a toss between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.
Of course, the Western Conference is not exactly an absolute kingdom for the Lakers. LeBron James and Anthony Davis, plus the rest of the Purple & Gold squad, will need to contend with the other top dogs in their side of the competition.
Even without Klay Thompson, the Golden State Warriors are strong enough to gun for the title. Then the Clippers are there with the tandem of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George still intact. In fact, Leonard's team just proved their strength by beating the Lakers at the start of the new season.
It was a close battle but the Clippers' statement was clear - they are out to win and win big.
In any case, former NFL star Shannon Sharpe is seeing the Lakers representing the west in the NBA Finals next year. According to Fadeaway World, Sharpe expects the defending champions to clash against the Clippers on their way to the Finals.
Sharpe predicted that the Lakers' ticket to another shot at the title is a 4-2 win of the series, then it's a face-off with the victorious team in the Eastern Conference.
In that regard, the analyst anticipates a showdown of the Bucks and Nets. Milwaukee will be led by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo but Sharpe said the duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will push Brooklyn to a Finals slot in 2021.
In the end, the Nets will prevail in six games and off they go to an expected bruising series with the Lakers.
Sharpe's predictions are in line with the projections offered by The Independent. The publication said James's squad are the heavy favorites to repeat their title conquest in the season but it's not going to be easy.
"There is plenty of high-quality competition for the NBA crown," declared the report.
The usual suspects are mentioned but notably, one team was pinpointed as a solid competitor. Boasting of a strong first-five, considered as among the toughest in the league, the Boston Celtics are picked to make life difficult for their rivals in the east, and both the Nets and Bucks should take notice.
The Celtics will obviously again depend on the offensive juggernauts that Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker proved to be last season, and the threat does not stop there. Talks are rife Boston could acquire James Harden from Houston and if that happens, the rivalry in the east will only get more interesting.
