Former Warriors champion shockingly places Lakers 10th in West predictions: "Hard one" 

Andrew Bogut has risked the wrath of LA Lakers fans everywhere. The former Golden State Warriors champion believes the Purple and Gold will finish the upcoming season as the 10th seed in the Western Conference. Rob Pelinka has spent this summer rebuilding his team's rotation. The Lakers are widely expected to be contenders in the upcoming season.

However, the Western Conference is notoriously deep. Some younger teams are starting to come of age. The Sacramento Kings made the playoffs last season and are expected to be competitive once again. The Dallas Mavericks also improved their roster this summer. As such, Bogut isn't bullish on the Lakers chances in the regular season.

"This was a hard one," Bogut said via his "Rogues Bogues" podcast. "This was a harder one than the East, I think. My 15: Phoenix, 1. Denver, 2. Clippers, 3. Memphis, 4. Golden State, 5. Sac, 6. I'm gonna put Dallas at 7, which is a bit controversial. 8, New Orleans. 9, OKC. 10, Lakers. The 5 I have missing out are, Minnesota, 11. Houston, 12. Spurs, 13. Utah, 14. Portland, 15."

If the LA Lakers were to finish in the play-in tournament, the regular season would be considered a failure. The Lakers surged up the conference standings after the February trade deadline last season and enter the new basketball year in an even stronger position.

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Stephen A. Smith pinpoints Anthony Davis' health as a key factor for the LA Lakers

Anthony Davis has struggled with injuries since the LA Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship. The superstar big man has struggled to remain healthy. Last season, Davis was producing MVP-level performances before missing time with a back injury. Davis never returned to the same level of play.

Stephen A. Smith believes Davis' health and performance level will determine how successful the Lakers are this season. The big man is expected to take over from LeBron James as the team's No. 1 offensive option.

"Is Anthony Davis going to be a superstar or is he gonna be what I call 'Six Flags'?" Smith said. "He shows up one game, drops 40, the next game he's missing in action. Shows up another game, drops 35, the next game he's missing in action."

Smith continued:

"In order to beat the likes of the Phoenix Suns, the Denver Nuggets, those two teams just have the name of feud. The [LA] Clippers even. Cause when they're healthy they have the Lakers' number. In order to pull that off, Anthony Davis has to be a superstar on a consistent basis."

When healthy, Davis is a top-10 player in the NBA. The veteran All-Star's diverse scoring ability and impressive defensive upside will ensure the Lakers are one of the best teams in the league if he's playing at his optimum level. Otherwise, the Lakers could find themselves slugging it out in the middle of the Western Conference in the upcoming season.