NBA Power Rankings: How the West Stacks Up Against the Lakers

The Western Conference might not be as deep as it has been in recent years, but there are still plenty of talented teams ready to give the World Champion Lakers a run for their money.

Kevin Durant and the upstart Thunder gave L.A. a tough battle in the first round last season, and will just keep getting better. No team has worse luck when it comes to injuries than the Blazers, but a healthy Portland squad can compete with any team in the NBA.

The Mavericks put together a team with the hopes of tangling with the Lakers in the playoffs, and the Spurs have surrounded aging veterans with a nice young nucleus.

Realistically, it's difficult to imagine more than a handful of teams knocking off L.A. in the playoffs.  For the sake of argument, here's a look at how the ...

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