Here's what the champs have done since Friday.

L.

A.

Has brought in Dennis Schroder mantra.

Harold Well, Sleep.

Matthew.

So far Shorter.

Finished runner up for sixth Man of the year last season, while Harold was the winner of that award and then Markieff Morris tweeting that he's returning to the Lakers.

Marc Gasol is finalizing a deal.

According to coach and contagious Caldwell.

Pope is locked up as well.

Max.

All that being said, who is the biggest threat to the Lakers in the West?

I actually think based on what I've seen so far in the off season, where I think the Nuggets really didn't take a step forward where I think the Clippers maybe got marginally better with the Ibaka signing where I look around, obviously, the Warriors air hobbled.

I actually thinks I think it's the Mavericks if they stay healthy.

Porzingis won't start the season because they're being very careful with his knee.

But assuming that he is rested and healthy and he'll have a most of the regular season to ramp up to make sure he's in shape for the playoffs, in fact, he's gonna play like especially considering the start date of the season.

He's gonna play the vast majority off the regular season.

You know, knock wood.

I look at that maverick Siri's against the Clippers, and I thought the Clippers were lucky to get past them.

Um, the Mavericks.

Don't forget the Clippers.

We're lucky when Porzingis got ejected for something he shouldn't have been ejected for.

They won that game and then eventually, Porzingis couldn't play and they won out.

But I thought the Mavericks were the better team based on what I saw him.

When both teams were at full strength, they were better.

And by the way, Luca Dockage is a superstar, and he's so young he is likely to get better.

There's actually room for improvement in his game.

He could shoot the ball better.

He takes a lot of threes, but he can shoot the ball better, and he looks like a shooter.

Like when he shoots the ball, you go, Yeah, that looks good.

I expect his shooting to get better, Stephen A.

Which is scary.

When you think about it.

I expect his defense to get better because he's not a good defender, although maybe not quite as bad asses reputation.

At this point, when I look at Cleaver and, uh, the roster surrounding these guys, they have, like, length.

They have shooting.

I think the Mavericks are the biggest threat to the Lakers if they are healthy.

I disagree with you, I think the number one threat to the Los Angeles Lakers, who are the clear by I don't wanna say, bye, ma, but pretty damn close.

The Los Angeles Lakers did their due diligence this offseason.

Uh, they put in the work that nobody else in the Western Conference put in, which is inexplicable to me.

And I think acquiring ah guy like, you know, Montreal's Harold keeping Morris, you know, adding, you know, adding what they added to the equation trade and what have you?

I definitely think that the Los Angeles Lakers are the clear, prohibitive favorite number Two behind them would be the Los Angeles Clippers A.

So far as I'm concerned, the Dallas Mavericks improved defensively, but they've taken a step back offensively.

I'm not a believer.

Uh, the Denver Nuggets should not have lost Jeremy Grand.

I don't know why he took 60 million from Detroit, but didn't take it from Denver doesn't seem to make much sense to me.

Even though I believe in Michael Porter Jr.

I still think that the Denver Nuggets, in terms of their depth, I don't think they're the same team.

I think the Los Angeles Clippers are the team to look out for when you look at Harold.

Harold was obviously the sixth man of the year.

He was an Energizer Bunny off the bench, but he doesn't necessarily have a Baca's game.

He's got Abacha's, got his side, his height, maybe even a little bit taller.

He definitely has a better perimeter shot.

Um, he's a better rim protector as well in terms of blocking shots.

Uh, if not rebounding, All of those things added to Paul, George and Kawhi Leonard and their, you know, their their motivation, having something approved after getting bounced out the way that they did.

I don't think enough can be said about that.

I'm certainly not saying they're better than the Los Angeles Lakers because we know better.

But when you look at the fact that they've got a new fresh voice, entire Lou, who's anxious to prove some things who knows a thing or two about how to how to coach LeBron James, let alone against them.

Then you combine that with Kawhi Leonard.

You're your best player in the world, Max.

At least until he got bounced out by Denver.

The bottom line is that when you consider all the things that they had to do to acquire Sir Toe a choir choir, Leonard, if there is somebody that's got to step up and produce and shows that he was worth all the sacrifices they made to get him, it's him.

Mr Load Management himself.

He is a great, great player, a top five talent in the league, but he ain't even in the top 20 when it comes to leadership.

We all know that Paul George is a star, but you can't be a superstar unless you show up when it really, really counts, which he has yet to prove.

And I love the guy, but you combine those two with their talent with the motivation, with Ty Lulu and Serge Ibaka being added to that equation, I would say, even though they're not better than the Lakers, they're better than everybody else in the Western Conference when it really, really counts.

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