Until further notice, the No. 1 threat to the Lakers in the Pacific is the same team that took them to six games in the Western Conference finals this past May — it's a Phoenix Suns team that's led by Steve Nash and still boasts an impressive supporting cast that can go toe-to-toe with Kobe Bryant and his crew in L.A.
When Nash's Suns gave Kobe's Lakers a scare this spring, it was thanks in large part to the efforts of Amare Stoudemire, who poured in 42 points in Game 3 to bring the Suns back from the dead, down 0-2 and fighting for their playoff lives. Amare was the most potent weapon in Nash's arsenal, the toughest matchup in the Western Conference, the one guy that put the fear of God in the Laker locker room every night.
Without him, the Suns will be different. But they'll be far from dead.
With Hedo Turkoglu, Josh Childress, Hakim Warrick and a healthy Robin Lopez on his side next season, Nash will have a tantalizing number of options at his disposal. The Suns will be as big an offensive powerhouse as ever, but in a whole new way — they'll win with versatility. It'll be a different guy beating you each night, making the Suns impossible to game plan for.
Last year's Suns won 54 games, finished third in the Western Conference and steamrolled their way past San Antonio to the West finals. This year's team will be just as good.
But in the race to catch the Lakers and fight for a division crown in 2011, they won't be alone.
Let's start with the Clippers — all five teams in the Pacific have gotten better this summer, but you could argue the Clips have made the biggest addition of all, simply by getting back a healthy Blake Griffin. With the stress fracture in his left knee now fully repaired, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2009 draft now looks poised to become a 20-10 force overnight, making for a scary one-two punch in the low post with Chris Kaman. That team is due for a big leap upward from 29 wins.
The Warriors landed an elite big man this summer in David Lee, finally giving them a monster rebounder to team with a pair of high-scoring guards in Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry.
The Kings got a steal of a No. 5 overall draft pick in Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins — between him and Tyreke Evans, that's a playoff team in the next couple of years.
The Pacific Division is deeper and tougher than it's been in a long time. Every game will be a challenge — not a cupcake win in sight.
The Lakers are still the clear favorites, but they're going to have to work hard to win a division crown next spring. As they only get older and every team around them continues to improve, the days of coasting to 60-plus wins and a top playoff seed are over.
When the playoffs tip off next April, the Lakers will likely be at the top of the heap, vying for another title. But they can't take anything for granted. This season will be a constant grind, from the opening tip in October to the final buzzer in June.
NESN.com will analyze 25 key NBA questions this September.
Sept. 17: Who wins MVP?
Sept. 19: Who wins the Northwest Division?
