The Los Angeles Lakers have maintained throughout the 2020-21 season that they are ready to play any team when it comes to defending their status as defending NBA champions.
The Lakers were hit just as hard as any other team with injuries throughout the season which forced them down the Western Conference standings. Los Angeles ended their regular season on a high note, winning five consecutive games though they still ended up as the conference’s seventh seed.
Although the Purple and Gold will be in this year’s Play-In Tournament, other teams took notice of their place in the standings and did their best to maneuver out of playing them early in the playoffs.