Lakers, Not Spurs, Are Favorites In The West

Ginobli has been injury prone the past two seasons and is showing wear and tear. Slashing in between the lane taking a beating nightly is putting unnecessary mileage on his body evidenced by the 44 games he appeared in this past season due to a foot injury. The Dallas Mavericks embarrassed the Spurs in the first round 4-1. Regardless of who the Spurs acquire, they won't win without a healthy Ginobli period. Health remains a concern for the Argentinean; If he is healthy, they are a dangerous team, if not, forget about it. 

Let's just assume everyone remains healthy the entire season, so what then? Well, there's an old saying people are familiar with. The Spurs won four championships this decade playing great defense and fundamental basketball. The addition of Jefferson boosted the offense but crippled them a bit on defense. "Defense wins championships" and no team knows this better than the old run and gun Phoenix Suns. Just ask them how many championships they won in the last decade while leading the league in points per game, the answer may surprise you.

While Bowen certainly isn't getting any younger, the eight time NBA All-Defensive player was their best perimeter defender they had. Last time I checked, Bryant hasn't opted out of his contract so it's safe to say he is grinning from ear to ear somewhere in Los Angeles right now. No one successfully defended him one on one except for the Houston Rocket's Shane Battier, so Bryant had his way every night scoring 30.2 ppg on 46 percent shooting throughout the playoffs.  I'm sure either Roger Mason or Jefferson are up to the challenge of defending Bryant, I just don't think either one can.

Beside Bryant, the Lakers have two 7 foot towers and a versatile forward who stands 6 foot 10 in Odom. With the departure of Thomas and Oberto, they loss depth at the center position. How are they going to guard Gasol and Bynum? The answer doesn't lie within Matt Bonner and Drew Gooden. Without help in the front court for Duncan, the Spurs can pick their poison. 

Still unsure? 

Well the Spurs aren't the only team who made changes to their roster, Lakers General Manager Mitch Kuptchak responded with his own changes. Days after big names such as Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, and Hedo Turkoglu accepted offers from other teams, Ron Artest signed with the Lakers ensuring the departure of Trevor Ariza. Some question whether bringing in the troubled Artest was a smart move or simply a panic move in response to the Spurs as well as other Eastern Conference teams' acquisitions.

But overlooking his past troubles in Indiana, Artest is a great all around player with a special skill set who is a competitor. The four time NBA All-defender and 2004 Defensive Player of the Year is just what the doctor's ordered in Los Angeles. He is amongst the top defenders in the league, play three positions on the court, and most importantly brings the physicality a finesse Laker's team needs.

Ariza was a great shooter and defender as well, however he struggled against bigger and stronger players such as Carmelo Anthony. In addition to his defensive skills, Artest can create his own shot, shoot at a high percentage, and get to the rim scoring 17.1 ppg as the third or fourth option for the Lakers.

The Spurs certainly have made the West more competitive and have closed the gap between themselves and the Lakers during the offseason. The additions make them a contender in the West and gives life to an aging Spurs dynasty. But at the end of the day, the Lakers have done just enough to remain the favorites out West.

As long as you have the Zen master and the best player in the game, the Lakers have to be considered one of the best teams in the league. Health is the biggest question surrounding the Spurs and if I'm a Lakers fan, I'll take my chances. 

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