L.A. Confidential

In my previous post I basically stated that in order for Kobe Bryant to rightfully take his place next to His Airness in the pages of basketball history, he must first bring a championship to L.A. in the post-Shaq era. This will cement his status as one of the true all-time greats (atleast in my mind). Luckily for Kobe, this season might just be his opportunity. Although I did not originally intend for it to be, I will use this post as any opportunity to announce my prediction of the Lakers as this year's NBA champions.

It makes sense. Last year's Lakers were a dynamic group who was clearly the best in the West, but fell short of landing the title. It is now a year later and I would make the argument that the Lakers have done nothing but improve. They now have a full season under their belt with both Gasol and Ariza in the lineup, rather than plugging them in on the go as they did last season. They are better equipped to deal with Andrew Bynum's seemingly yearly injury this season, as they struggled to figure out how to handle it last season. Also, Andrew should be back for the playoffs, providing them with another weapon they did not have last year. Couple these factors with the ever-determined Kobe Bryant, and you have a bonafide championship contendor.

However, not only have the Lakers improved, but it seems the competition has moved in the opposite direction, at least in the Western Confrence. All season, I had mentioned the Spurs as the only true threat to the Lakers chance of repeating as Western Confrence champions, and with Manu out for the remainder of the season/playoffs, I can confidently remove them from that spot. Otherwise, when scanning the West I see a lot of solid teams, but none that can pose a legitimate threat to a hungry and determined Lakers team. The Rockets have been playing well, but still lack a clutch performer and have not demonstrated an ability to perform well in the playoffs in the recent past. The Hornets, althought still talented, are nowhere near as dangerous as they were last season. They have often struggled to get into a rhythem, proving that they can beat any team on a given night, but also lose to any team on a given night. Then we have the Nuggets, Blazers, and Mavericks, all potientially dangerous teams, but none that I see becoming a true obstacle for L.A. This leaves the Jazz, who at this point I feel to be the team most capable of beating the Lakers in a seven game series. Their depth and defense could cause problems for a Lakers team that is likely to shave their rotation come playoff time. Overall though, I do not feel that the Jazz are dangerous enough to carry Jerry Sloan back to the finals, leaving the door wide open for the Lakers to cruise back to the finals.

The only teams in the East that I consider to be legitimate contendors are the Cavs and the Celtics. (Yes, I left the Magic out on purpose. Although they have made great strides this season and have the look of a sooner-than-later contendor, until they prove something to me I will chalk my snub of them up to their inexperience). After a torrid start, the Celtics have slowed (to a near-crawl at times) and are not entering this year's playoffs with nearly the same amount of momentum that they had last year. Couple this with the injuries that they have been dealing with, including a lingering inury to Kevin Garnett, and recent news of a hurt ankle by Rajon Rondo, and the Celtics are facing an uphill battle. They have also had trouble with depth all season, stating with the loss of James Posey. Starbury and M. Moore were added to help with this issue, but both have struggled to fit in the rotation completely. With these issues facing the Celtics, it seems as though it would be extremely difficult to pull a repeat. This leaves only one team from the East to head to the finals; the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Defeating Lebron and the surging Cavs in a series will be extremely difficult, especially if the Cavs obtain home court. However, I feel that the Lakers are capable of it, as they are 2-0 against Cleveland this season. Kobe, and Laker fans alike, should wonder, if not now, then when.