NBA Tier List: Golden State Warriors enter upper stratosphere

NBA Tiers: Title Favorites

Here it is. The top of the NBA mountain. If you want to win the championship, you’ll have to go through one of these teams.

Los Angeles Lakers

As quirky as the Los Angeles Lakers have become over the offseason, there is no denying their talent level. The likes of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony playing on the same team is exciting.

Spacing is an obvious issue here. No one in the Lakers’ rotation is a true shooter and I wouldn’t be surprised if some changes are made at the deadline to address this need. Even so, the power of Westbrook’s shot creation next to AD and LeBron is too much to overlook. Furthermore, Malik Monk is a highly underrated pickup. He’s not a sniper either but he’s a quality scorer and playmaker.

Overall, the Lakers are going to be a titan in the Western Conference for as long as LeBron James is on the roster and healthy.

Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo has accomplished the unthinkable, but the job is not finished. The Milwaukee Bucks will be looking to repeat as NBA champions. Yet, their road to the title will be more difficult this time around, assuming injuries don’t sweep the league once again.

Losing P.J. Tucker in free agency is certainly a blow but the Bucks still have a championship core. It’s unclear if winning a title has removed the mental roadblock that seemingly held them back in the past but we have to assume it will help them moving forward.

At the end of the day, Giannis is elevating his game to all-time great levels and putting pressure on the rest of the league to stop him. Alongside a defensive-oriented Jrue Holiday and deadly offensive-creator in Khris Middleton, Giannis will have the Bucks in a position to win again.

Brooklyn Nets

I have to admit if the Brooklyn Nets are healthy next year — it’s a wrap for the rest of the league. I simply can’t imagine a scenario in which Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving are unable to win a championship with the three of them together.

Durant himself pushed the Bucks to the brink last season. His return from an Achilles tear has been incredible and KD’s honestly looking better than ever. If he even gets one of Irving or Harden at his side next season, he’ll be a threat to win the chip.

As for the rest of the Nets, they retained Blake Griffin and could potentially regain LaMarcus Aldrige. For the most part, their roster is the same. All that really matters is ensuring everyone is healthy and ready to go by the playoffs.