The Atlantic Files #195: 2021-22 Pacific Division Preview

This week on The Atlantic Files:

We’re back for another week and another installment of the 2021-22 divisional preview series! This week we have the forever-talked-about Los Angeles Lakers and the Pacific Division.

First things first, there was the Phoenix Suns who made it all the way to the NBA Finals last season. After returning a lot of the same players, they are primed to defend their Western Conference title. Some of the other teams in the West got better though and now it’s going to be even more of a fight as long as everyone stays healthy.

Then, there’s the ever-popular Lakers. They hauled in a ton of talent during the off-season and if it was 2016, this team would probably be a historically good team that would rival the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls. The only issue is that it’s not 2016 and over half the team is north of 30-years-old and we have no idea if health will be on their side or not.

Speaking of health, there’s the other LA team in the Los Angeles Clippers who won’t have Kawhi Leonard and a lot of their team seems to spend more time in street clothes than they do a team uniform. Can they even make the playoffs with Paul George as the number one and only star?

On the other side, there’s the Golden State Warriors who are getting healthier by the minute. Klay Thompson should be back, James Wiseman should be back, and they have Stephen Curry fresh off of an MVP-calibur season. If there’s any team that should make a big jump in the standings it’s the Warriors!

Finally, we have the bottom of the barrel Sacramento Kings. They continue to try to climb out of purgatory and finally make a name for themselves with a trio of young and exciting guards. Not sure if the confidence is there for them though.

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
2:45 – Phoenix Suns preview
11:25 – Los Angeles Lakers preview
23:55 – Los Angeles Clippers preview
32:35 – Golden State Warriors preview
43:10 – Sacramento Kings preview

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Alex Fischbein

Being from the suburbs of Philadelphia, it was hard not to become a Sixers fan during Allen Iverson's prime. Other than just the Sixers, I enjoy watching all forms and levels of basketball, especially the WNBA. Outside of basketball, I've been playing and coaching volleyball for most of my life. Also, after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, I became a Software Developer by day, while writing and hosting podcasts by night.