Pivot Points: L.A. Lakers Primed for a Run at NBA Immortality

Seventy wins. In football this is akin to the New England Patriots finishing 16-0, or in baseball the New York Yankees winning 114 games.

Actually, 70 may stand alone, because while the feat is not original in football or baseball, it has been accomplished just once in basketball.

In the long and glorious history of the NBA, only the Chicago Bulls of 1995-1996 ended the tedious, grinding regular season with 70 plus wins.

Other teams have come close to matching the 70 win tier, most notably the same Bulls team the very next year.

They fell one game short in their endeavour to do the unthinkable, post back-to-back 70 win seasons.

The Lakers also won 69 games in their final season in Minnesota, before departing for the sunny beaches of California.

Michael Jordan and his Bulls team changed the sport with their magical 72 game run, and the NBA hasn't been the same since.

For one thing, the dominance of that Bulls team is sometimes undervalued.

There was not a team that anyone felt was capable to upset the Bulls, and the Seattle Supersonics, who were probably the second best team, proved it by losing in six games in the Finals.

In today's NBA, parity is the theme, and the dominance of 1995-1996 is muted and forgotten.

Supremacy is now dispersed throughout the league, and there are several teams who are capable of reaching dizzying heights.

The Lakers may be the best of the bunch, and look ready to make an assault on the Bulls' lofty record.

The defending champs' roster is one of the best ever assembled. The Lakers are deep, talented, and have skill at every position.

The acquisition of the mercurial Ron Artest gave them the defensive stopper they lacked, and instilled a degree of instant toughness.

Departed forward, Trevor Ariza will be missed, but Artest, and the ability to resign Lamar Odom, should more than make up for his absence.

The preseason is not a true indicator, but the Lakers seemed to be firing on all cylinders against Golden State.

They showed chemistry, balance, and cohesion. They out-classed, and out-performed the defenseless Warriors.

If this was an omen of things to come, then the rest of the league is on notice, but we can't start the coronation process just yet.

There are multiple factors that could shatter this promising season, and throw it off course.

The first thing, of course, are injuries. The Lakers are deep, and could absorb an injury in the post, but if a player like Kobe went down, then the Lakers are in trouble.

The Lakers would remain competitive but they would lose their superstar element, and would not recover from it.

Although Andrew Bynum looked very comfortable in his first preseason action, he remains a question mark.

A healthy, and improved Bynum gives the Lakers a potential superstar at the center position, to go along with Pau Gasol, who is one of the best power forwards in the game.

Gasol is steady but Bynum remains unproven, and his play will be key to the Lakers chances of getting 70.

I feel that this is the perfect situation for Artest, but his penance for mayhem is still troubling.

He must stay under control and within the confines of the system for the Lakers to prosper.

Coach Phil Jackson is used to dealing with unpredictable personalities, and it was the presence of Dennis Rodman, who fits the bill, that may have pushed the Bulls over the top.

Of course, with so many storylines, the Kardashian factor, and the prevalence of so many alpha-males, there are reasons for concern.

But this is also L.A., and all of the Lakers are used to the glare of the spotlight, and seem to revel at the chance to bask in it.

There are also other teams that have different designs than the Lake Show.

Boston, for one, would be a stark challenge to the Lakers bid, especially if Kevin Garnett is as healthy as advertised.

Other teams such as Cleveland, Orlando, and San Antonio also shored up their rosters in hopes of keeping the Lakers in striking distance.

This is something that the Bulls didn't have to worry about, because there were no other teams that were capable of keeping pace.

The competition is good for the Lakers, and great for the game, because if they could reach that plateau and win the championship, they would be immortalized.

Although there are numerous other factors, such as the consistency of their bench, that could hinder Los Angelos, optimism is high among the Laker faithful.

They enter 2009-2010 with a repeat in their sight, and thoughts of potential greatness on their minds.