The race to the 2021 NBA is on as it opened last December, a few months after the Lakers clinched the championship title. It will be the shortest season in NBA history, cutting down the G-League and reducing to 72-ball games. The All-Star Break is about to begin in March, and the Second Half will follow afterward.
With the fast-moving 2021 NBA season, the games sound more interesting. All teams got more than two games to accomplish every week, and there is no time to relax. In fact, the NBA League is wrapping up the First Half, which will determine each team's rankings representing both the Eastern and the Western Conference.
As the 2021 NBA League progresses, there are many revelations and jaw-dropping plays that every fan did not anticipate to happen. The biggest sleepers are trending in the right direction, while last year's favorites are slowly falling apart. While all teams are working hard to earn this year's NBA cup, here are the five teams who are poised to win the championship title.
Los Angeles Lakers
The defending champions are a real contender for this year's NBA championship title. They are indeed not running away from the responsibility of bringing home the bacon once again. Although they are presently sitting a step behind the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference ranking, the Lakers got many chances to climb back on top.
LeBron James will again lead the team to a better positioning this year. Besides, he's got a handful of help from Anthony Davis, who has the reach and the power. Not only that, but the Lakers' acquisition of Marc Gasol, Dennis Schroder, Wesley Matthews, and Montrezl Herrell will make this group unstoppable at any given perimeter.
Los Angeles Clippers
If there's a team who got badly disappointed last season, it's the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite having a flock of high flyers such as Montrezl Harrell and Paul George, they fell short last season. Today, the Clippers are making sure they won't slip their momentum away as they are on the 4th spot in Western Conference seeding.
Answering a humiliating defeat last year against the Nuggets, the Clippers let go of Doc Rivers as their head coach. The team got Tyronn Lue, who was once in the championship game in 2016 with Cleveland Cavaliers. Besides, they gave up Herrell and Green, replacing them with Serge Ibaka and Nicolas Batum.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are adding wealth to the roster and removing those who are no longer delivering. During the bubble, the East Coast team is looking forward to the Bucks as their favorite representative from the East. However, they are a bit upset in the second seed taking the busiest schedule in today's regular season.
The Bucks subtracted Wes Matthews, Robin Lopez, and R.J. Hampton from the line-up. In response, they got D.J.Agustin, Bobby Portis, and Jrue Holiday. These men will surely give their best plays, especially they got Giannis Antetokounmpo as their leader. Having these players in the Bucks' roster will help them get a good ride in the 2021 NBA Finals.
Golden State Warriors
After appearing in the finals for five straight years, the Golden State Warriors fell off last season. Their plays weren't cohesive enough to help them inch into the finals. It's why they lost the other teams, and the Lakers had to take the responsibility of bringing honor and prestige for the West side.
Today, they are now back on track as Stephen Curry looks healthier. Klay Thompson is also playing for the Warriors, along with James Wiseman and Daymond Green. Now that the Warriors are getting back their spice, there is no reason why this team will not appear to the final stage once again.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are looking great in the East this season as they take the 4th seed. Presently winning fourteen games, they are poised to make a good catch of the NBA title in the next few months. The Heat, who was responsible for their demise last year in the Conference Finals, were many steps behind them.
The exit of Gordon Hayward is not a bad thing for the Celtics. It paved then a way to sign in Aaron Smith and Danny Ainge. These two players have shown great plays since the season began and will show more in the coming playoff days.
Takeaway
All teams playing for the NBA season this year are showing neck-to-neck matches that every fan must appreciate. In fact, underdogs are coming out from behind, emerging as top performers in today's games. As the NBA takes the conclusion of the First Half in a few weeks, get guided with the teams above as one of them might successfully earn the NBA title at the end of the season.
