It's bleak in the Pacific.
The Los Angeles Lakers were the best team in the Pacific Division last season, and it doesn’t look like their reign will come to an end anytime soon.
The Pacific Division was the Play-In division last season, with the Lakers holding the fourth seed, but the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, and Golden State Warriors all taking part in the Play-In tournament.
The Suns emerged from the tournament as the other playoff team to make the playoffs out of the division. They were swept in four games by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who went on to sweep the Lakers in the second round.
The Sacramento Kings are the final team in the division, and they are the Sacramento Kings.
The Future of the Division
The Lakers have been the best team in the division over the last few seasons, but their stranglehold might get even tighter with the way the rest of the teams are operating.
Their biggest challenger moving forward looks to be the Suns, who have stability and a franchise player in Devin Booker.
The Suns were a consistent group last season, coming together to find a strong defensive identity led by Dillon Brooks.
Phoenix should continue to find chemistry this season, which makes them a threat to the Lakers, as they may not have the star power of Luka Doncic, but they play hard and give effort on every single night.
The rest of the division looks rather bleak, not only this upcoming season, but for the foreseeable future.
A Bigger Outlook
The Golden State Warriors might have the star power of the Lakers as they still employ future Hall of Famers Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green, but it’s an older squad with injury history.
The Warriors could flip their entire franchise around if they are able to trade Butler and land a second star alongside Curry, especially if that star is younger and has room to grow. They could also flip their franchise by trading all three of the aforementioned players for a haul of draft picks that set them up years down the line.
But if they continue down this path, there is not a ton of upside with the older squad.
The Clippers looked to be a threat in the state not too long ago, but things blew up last season and didn’t get any better in the offseason. They no longer have the star power they once did and are now without five future first-round picks, losing them all for nothing after the NBA ruled on its investigation into the team and Kawhi Leonard.
The Kings are still the Kings.
