Dwight Howard Trade: Lakers Haven't Passed Miami Heat as NBA Title Favorites

Los Angeles Lakers fans have a right to be excited after the team acquired Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic without even losing Pau Gasol. However, they should hesitate before calling their team the prohibitive favorites in the NBA. 

The Miami Heat should still remain atop the NBA totem pole, with the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder duking it out for the second spot. 

Even with Dwight, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Pau in the same starting five, the Lakers haven't passed the Heat quite yet. 

Historical Precedent

The Los Angeles Lakers have made a living out of stealing centers away from less-fortunate teams and then winning championships with them on the roster and contributing heavily. 

First, it was Wilt Chamberlain who came over from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Lakers before the start of the 1968-1969 season. Next, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decided that the Milwaukee Bucks weren't fulfilling his cultural needs and requested a trade to L.A. for the 1975-1976 season.

Shaquille O'Neal was the next NBA-best center to join forces with the Lakers, signing on with the squad before the 1996-1997 season after starting his career with the Orlando Magic. Now, Dwight Howard is moving to L.A.

Wilt, Kareem and Shaq all won titles with the Lakers, and Dwight is expected to do the same.

That said, each one failed to bring home the title during his first season in purple and gold. It took Wilt four seasons, Kareem five years and Shaq four.

Based on historical precedent alone, Dwight will need to wait a few years to add his name to the L.A. record books.  

Age and Injury History

The Lakers also have to worry about a couple of natural forces: the pesky injury imp and Father Time. 

Dwight's back is still a question mark and could hinder him tremendously during his first season calling the Staples Center home. That's pure speculation as there's been little indication pointing towards either a return to health or a decline in play, but the possibility still exists that he could be less effective. 

Los Angeles has also put together a roster full of elderly players. The AARP might want to think about sponsoring the team once logos are allowed to be placed on uniforms. 

Kobe is soon to be 34, Pau Gasol 32, Steve Nash 38, Antawn Jamison 36 and Metta World Peace 32.

There's no telling when these guys will start to slow down, but each one remains more prone to the aforementioned injury imp because of the advanced age.  

LeBron James

Mike Brown may have four bona fide stars under his control, but he still doesn't coach the best player in the NBA anymore. 

Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard are both Top 10 players in The Association, while Steve Nash and Pau Gasol aren't too far behind, but not having LeBron James is still significant. 

As he's shown time and time again, LeBron has the ability to win games single-handedly, even against elite competition. 

Plus, it's not like he's surrounded by a weak supporting cast. He has three stars playing alongside him as well between Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen. 

Last time I checked, the Miami Heat were the reigning champions in the league and only got stronger during the ensuing offseason. 

Chemistry

Not only are the Miami Heat the team that should still be considered the title favorites over the Los Angeles Lakers, but they're also the ones who provide a perfect example of exactly why the Lakers shouldn't expect to win ring No. 6 for Kobe this year.

Chemistry is an important ingredient in the recipe for NBA success. Without it, the proverbial super-teams are really just teams.

Such was the case for the Miami Heat during their first post-Decision season, when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade grappled for control of the ball and failed to live up to the expectations placed upon them. It was only when chemistry was established that Miami was able to win a title.

The current version of the Lakers are going to struggle during their first season together at times. During portions of the season, they'll look absolutely dominate. At other times, they'll look confused and will compete for possession of the ball. 

Until the Lakers have proven that they can successfully distribute one spherical object among all of their new pieces, they can't surpass the defending champions, who have already proven that they can do exactly that.