The two favorites for the NBA title this season were the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets.
However, neither one of those teams ended up making it past the second round.
Injuries hurt both of their chances and saw them get bounced from the playoffs earlier than we expected.
The Nets lost James Harden and Kyrie Irving in their second-round matchup against the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks.
The Lakers lost Anthony Davis in the first round against the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns.
Now after a disappointing end to the season, the Nets and Lakers must regroup for next season.
Changes need to be made.
Also, good health needs to be maintained throughout next season.
We will most likely see both of these teams at the top of the standings next year.
Are we going to see a Finals matchup next season with the Nets and Lakers?
The Lakers Are Ready To Make Big Moves
The Lakers were supposed to be back in the Finals, after winning it all last season.
However, the injuries hurt them all season long.
The roster was not good enough to compete unless both LeBron James and Anthony Davis were healthy.
That means that they must fix some of their roster problems this offseason.
The Lakers are already planning on making a big move.
They are in the market looking for a star point guard to help their two superstars.
Lakers are seeking a vet PG, and Chris Paul is on their list, per @MarcJSpears
Russell Westbrook is also a candidate 👀 pic.twitter.com/abkFczR355
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 21, 2021
Dennis Schroder is most likely moving on due to his free agency this offseason.
Schroder struggled, but he was not the only one.
A lot of players on this roster couldn’t become the big-time players that the Lakers needed.
Expect big moves from one of the top teams in NBA history.
James does not have a lot of time left in this league.
The Lakers need to make big time moves in order to reclaim their throne.
The Nets Are Going To Be Healthy
The biggest problem with the Nets this season was health.
Their big three is one of the best we have ever seen.
Harden, Irving, and Kevin Durant are all elite scorers in this league.
Opponents are scared of their abilities as a trio.
However, they were only able to play fewer than 20 games as a unit.
Game 2 against the Bucks saw them blow out the eventual champions.
Think about this: In Game 2 at Brooklyn, this same Milwaukee Bucks team lost by 39 points.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 21, 2021
The next game is when Irving turned his ankle and missed the rest of the series.
Next season will be a full year with this core.
They will be coming in fully healthy as well.
This big three were unstoppable during the games they played together.
It was just unfortunate that the sample size was so low.
We should expect to see the Nets as one of the top teams in the NBA next season.
Both of these teams are going to be formidable next year.
The expectation as of right now is that they are both the favorites in their respective conferences.
It is the most likely outcome next year; seeing the Nets and Lakers in the NBA Finals.
NEXT: 3 Best Moments From Milwaukee Bucks NBA Title Run