Ranking the top 5 super teams in the NBA heading into the 2021-22 NBA season

#3 The Los Angeles Lakers have retooled for a serious run at the NBA championship

The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Anthony Davis

The Los Angeles Lakers' trade for Russell Westbrook set the NBA on fire. There are several questions regarding how a ball-dominant point guard who is a poor shooter will affect the Lakers' spacing. How Westbrook moves off the ball while LeBron James runs the offense is another thing that will be an area of concern for this lineup. Frank Vogel will have his hands full in the offseason trying to figure out the best way for this season to work.

Despite the uncertainties, the Los Angeles Lakers are adding a player with insane athleticism and a burning desire to compete. He's an unmatched triple-double menace in the league. No one has even come close to what Russell Westbrook brings as a threat to fill up the most significant stats on the sheet.

The potential of an Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook trio can be almost unbelievably good. If there’s one guy who can make sacrifices and make players around him better, it has to be King James. The grind of an 82 game schedule will tax all teams, including the Lakers. Having Westbrook give James a breather is almost as important as the points, rebounds and assists that Russ will pile up.

Keeping James healthy is the top priority for the Lakers and Westbrook might be the best solution to this. The move to get Westbrook is LA's attempt to maximize LeBron's NBA championship window. If they mesh well, the Lakers’ 18th banner could be added to the rafters at Staples Center when the season ends.

#2 The Milwaukee Bucks are looking to repeat as champs

The Milwaukee Bucks celebrating the end of their NBA championship drought.

The Milwaukee Bucks just won the NBA championship. It almost feels like blasphemy to put them second on this list except that it isn’t because of the team that comes out on top of this list. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are proven winners who have played their best on the biggest basketball stage.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has vowed to be even better than the player who dominated the NBA finals. If his shooting pushes him to league average, he would completely terrorize the NBA. Khris Middleton has stamped his clutch genes in the NBA Finals. He gave the Bucks a bonafide scorer when the games were on the line.

Jrue Holiday is the team’s unsung hero. He forms a stifling 1-2 defensive net with Giannis Antetokounmpo that will be a pain to deal with in a whole series. It’s not a coincidence that the Bucks won the championship when Holiday was added to the lineup.

For the Bucks, they have a collection of stars who do more than score. They also put pride in the way they play defense and lead. The road to the Finals in the East will most likely have to pass through this trio in the next couple of years.

#1 The Brooklyn Nets is the team to beat

The fearsome Brooklyn Nets featuring Kevin Durant, James Hardena and Kyrie Irving

No other group of superstars is as mesmerizing as Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets. Although they played only eight games together, it was nirvana for many basketball fans. Chemistry and fit issues were immediately set aside when Harden decided to play point and two of the best scorers in the league surrounding him. Just how potent the KD, Irving and Harden trio can be was clearly evident in the minutes they shared the floor together.

The Nets, without Kyrie Irving and a hobbled James Harden, pushed the eventual and near full-strength Bucks team to a classic Game 7. When fully healthy and engaged, these superstars can put a stranglehold on the NBA championship for years to come.