The Ringer had an article analyzing four contenders based on their Pythagorean records:
https://www.theringer.com/2020/12/21...s-suns-nuggets
The Clippers were not one of the four teams, but from the charts you can see they slightly under performed their expected record. The Lakers on the other hand were one of the largest over performers. This analysis would suggest that the Lakers are more likely to regress at least in terms of regular season record. A counter argument would be that the Lakers added better personnel around LeBron and AD
while the Clippers lost talent on net.
I am not sure how to think about chemistry issues; last year was the first season for the superstar pairing on each team. You could wonder whether adding more established players could disrupt the Laker's chemistry. Alternatively, you could look at the Clippers and believe that some of the same chemistry problems are still there.
Just trying to support the return to NBA discussion. I personally will root for the unlikely outcome of the Pelicans beating the Trailblazers in the West and beating the Celtics in the finals (My NBA rooting interest is directly tied to the presence of the Brotherhood on the roster!)