“The West could be the toughest it’s been since the O’Neal era” - Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith says he wants to see the LA Lakers and Clippers healthy

The LA Lakers and LA Clippers are hoping to be playoff contenders this season. Unfortunately for both, there's going to be plenty of competition in the Western Conference this year.

Both Los Angeles teams are in fascinating positions as training camp nears.

The Lakers have struggled to stay healthy and are desperate to get back on the right track after going 33-49 last season. The Clippers are coming off a season in which star forward Kawhi Leonard was out for the entire year. Some have considered the Clippers to be a dark horse to make a championship run. Meanwhile, the Western Conference has turned into a juggernaut of competition.

On "The Big Podcast with Shaq," NBA analyst Kenny "The Jet" Smith said that he's excited to see what the Lakers and Clippers will do.

"I want to see the Lakers and the Clippers healthy. I want to see what they look like when they're healthy. Because the West could be the toughest it's been since the O'Neal era. If Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis are healthy along with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, like, this could be one of the best Western Conferences we've had."

LA Lakers and Clippers hope to bounce back in stacked Western Conference

One of the top storylines of this season is how good the Western Conference competition is shaping up to be. Both the LA Lakers and LA Clippers have rosters full of intriguing firepower.

The Lakers saw their season take a turn for the worse last year, as they finished 11th in the Western Conference. The Clippers, on the other hand, appear to be a team that could make a serious impact.

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For the Lakers to rebound and make a playoff run, they are going to have to stay on the court this year. As Kenny Smith said, there's plenty of firepower in the West this year and teams will be eager to make their mark.

The Lakers have been historically bad since the 2013-14 season, with seven losing seasons in nine years, even with the 2020 championship. In fact, the bubble title is the only time the Lakers have won a playoff series since 2012, when Kobe Bryant still played. The franchise had never had more than two consecutive losing seasons until this recent stretch.