Stop crying L.A. fans, the Lakers have a better chance than any team to come back and win the title next year.
Despite embarrassing themselves to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, life isn’t over for the Los Angeles Kobe Bryant and Friends. L.A. is a year early anyway. Was Pau Gasol the missing piece that made them title contenders? For sure, but that puzzle also had a giant piece named Andrew Bynum, who happened to be missing for the entire end of the season. Gasol is a seasoned scorer and an incredible athlete in his own right, but he doesn’t bring the strength and mean streak that Bynum does (ask Shaq). Bynum is the cornerstone of that low-post defense, and Boston would have found the paint to be a far more unfriendly place if they had to run through two long, athletic 7-footers. When Bynum returns from surgery and joins Gasol on the frontline (assuming this roster stays together -- I'm looking at you, Kobe) and the Lakers move Lamar Odom for a player with a pair of rocks in his sack (rocks > talent), they will be competing for the championship for years.
But they will not be alone.
Another team also started making noise a year early. Last October, the Portland Trailblazers were expected to be one of if not the worst team in the league. They had just traded away Zach Randolph, their leading scorer and rebounder, and banked their entire future on #1 draft pick Greg Oden. They then watched Oden shut down for the entire season due to microfracture knee surgery. It didn’t leave them with much.
6 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Marcel Mansour about 1 year ago
I think this was a great article. I agree with about the Lakers being championship contenders for the next 4-5 years. I also think the Blazers are going to be the Lakers' biggest West rivals in another year or two along with the Hornets and Jazz. They have a good team with Roy, Aldridge and Oden.
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sam the fact checker about 1 year ago
sorry but the rockets are going to emerge as western conferance champs...only to lose to the amazing bobcats from the east in the nba finals...jk...haha but seriously...i think it all depends on odens health...
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Alexa Freed about 1 year ago
Hmmm...
Not overly impressed with any Western Conference team or upcoming team.
Youth, inexperience, run and gun mentality, along with an offensive mindset just won't get the job done.
The West may be deeper in talent, but inferior in ability to win a championship.
P.S. Bynum had only played 8 weeks of decent ball, and did not match up well against the bigs in the East. Furthermore....never know with a knee injury.
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Drew Barton about 1 year ago
The Blazers have youth and, arguably, not a lot of experience...but they also have absolutely no run & gun mentality. If there was a team in the league with fewer feast break points last year I have no clue who they were. They were built on defense and the half-court game...arguably two of the most vital things in the playoffs. In fact, when they were riding high in their 13 game streak Barkley (rightfully, though he was heavily criticized at the time) pointed out they were not yet a playoff team because they didn't get out and run and had no way to get easy baskets.
The Hornets are a great half-court team because of the pick & roll with Chandler & Paul and it doesn't hurt having solid mid-range shooter in West and a good deep threat in Stojakovich...
Just sayin'
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jereima gilg about 1 year ago
alexa
1st point: you should be the blazers will be amazing
2nd point: boston is the only team that could have beaten the lakers
3rd: bynum averaged 13 and 10 hes a beast hes like a less strong but taller version or dhoward
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Dave Metrick about 1 year ago
Come on Alexa, you're better than that.
"Not overly impressed with any Western Conference team or upcoming team."
Really? Not impressed with the Lakers? The Hornets? The Jazz? The Blazers? Do you watch basketball?
"The West may be deeper in talent, but inferior in ability to win a championship."
Umm, they've won 7 of the last 10 titles. And while Boston will be back in contention again next season, the Pistons are being dismantled, the Cavs are doing nothing to help LeBron and the Magic need much better backcourt play.
And the man above me is right. Bynum will be a Beast.
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