No big operations + fierce competition in the West! US media question whether the Lakers are enough to enter the championship ranks

Today, US media ClutchPoints issued a message to question whether the Lakers' current signings are enough to get them into the ranks of championship competition. The Lakers didn't make a big deal this year, and they brought in:

DeAndre Ayton, who is expected to be in the inside as a new starting center; Marcus Smart, an experienced veteran leader; and Jack Laravia, a young wing with potential to gain a major role.

That's all. There are no big deals, and there are no crazy signings, and these three new players are under tremendous pressure.

Ayton finally needs to play a performance that matches his height. Smart will get a lot of playing time and is expected to stabilize the outside defense. As for Laravia? He needs to focus on making the rotation.

But is this enough? The Western Conference is fierce in competition. The Oklahoma City Thunder is the defending champion and is getting stronger. The Denver Nuggets reorganized and strengthened around Nikola Jokic. The Houston Rockets just introduced Kevin Durant.

Lakes ranked third in the Western Conference in the regular season last season, but they were eliminated by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.