First off, as a Lakers fan, I will try to give an objective view of the landscape of the NBA, ah who am I kidding thats not possible. Go Lakers!!! All kidding aside, the defending champs still have a lot of work to do. The Lakers have been a terribly inconsistent team over the last month, and this was on full display against the Orlando Magic this past Monday. The truth of the matter is, the Lakers should be dominating opponents given the talent that they have. I will not use injuries as an excuse because every team deals with the injury bug. In their latest win, the Lakers came out firing on all cylinders jumping out to a big first quarter lead only to squander it and have the Magic eventually take the lead in the third quarter. However, for the first time, the Lakers were able to receive some help from its bench, with Lamar Odom turning in another dominating performance on the glass with Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown contributing heavily to the production that led to the Lakers retaking the lead and never relinquishing it. In order for the Lakers to make a run at back to back championships more consistent bench play will be needed to spot the starts who have been hampered by injuries and inconsistency. Kobe, as he might well try to will the team, will need a lot of help to pull this out given the extent of the injuries he has suffered. His refusal to rest, shows not only his dedication, but his stubbornness that come playoff time could damage the Lakers chance or repeating. Please sit out a few games and see the big picture. We need you come playoff time, but you're of not help if you have worn down and can't give it your all.
On the flipside, the Cavs might have what it takes this year. Lebron is once again having an MVP caliber season and the surrounding personnel seems to better than a year ago. The addition of Shaq will be a blessing, having two legit bigs will not only help to wear down opponents after the grind of the regular season, but as seen in the first meeting with the Lakers, it can certainly neutralize the size advantage the Lakers usually have inside against most opponents. With the Celtics ailing, the Magic struggling to find their groove and the overall weakness of the East, the Eastern Conference is once again the Cavs to lose. I believe the Cavs have learned their lesson from last year and the addition of Shaq, while in a very complimentary role will have that experience that will aide them in triumphing in the East. In my honest opinion the biggest road bump for the Cavs this year will be the Atlanta Hawks, teams should beware, this young team is playoff tested and I believe are ready to take the next step.
My prediction for the 2nd half of the season, will be the Lakers are Cavs will stay atop their conference, and while the West is a log jam with a 11 potential playoff teams, i believe the Lakers will have an easier road to the finals than the Cavs. Lakers and Cavs in the Finals, Lakers in Six.
Please stay tuned for more posts, as I plan to release my first NFL Mock Draft, discuss the upcoming world cup and the prospects of USA, The Super Bowl and my picks for who moves on. Please give your feedback and opinions.
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