1. Andrew Bynum has finally completed his transition from unpolished stiff to full blown deity. He was recently seen walking on water shortly after a Lakers practice, Bill Plaschke reports.
2. The character of this Lakers team is such that they will come back hungry and determined. These are some very tough characters, with a great deal of emotion. For example, remember when Sasha Vujacic started crying on the bench and then took out his rage on the towel boy? You gotta love that competitive fire.
3. In the three months since the finals have ended, the Celtics have become a group of decrepit, wheezing crones who are more likely to keel over dead than raise another banner. This rapid transition will allow the spritely young Jordan Farmar's of the world to score at will on the Celtics.
4. By losing James Posey, the Celtics have lost their only good bench player. As we all learned from last year's finals, the Laker "Bench Mob" is far superior to Boston's ragtag collection of second round draft picks and journeymen like Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and Eddie House. The Laker bench will handle them easily. With defensive-minded first round talents like Vujacic, Radmonovic, and Farmar, there's no way the Lakers can lose.
5. Kurt Rambis has been coming to Pau Gasol's house every single day since the Finals ended, and has been teaching him how to be physical in the post and on defense. Remember: You can't teach toughness, you can only... um...ahhhh... learn... it? Nevermind.
6. Kendrick Perkins simply doesn't have the beef to match up with Bynum. In fact, no one does. Bynum is a top 3 center in the league. For sure. I know because this one time last year, he had a stretch where he averaged 13 and 9. Those sort of numbers don't come from just anyone. It's not as if players like Theo Ratliff, Eddie Griffin, or Hakim Warrick has ever produced stats like that.
7. With the addition of the Savior to the Lakers' lineup, Lamar Odom will be moved over to the Small Forward position. This does NOT bode well for Paul Pierce. Odom's game is really aggressive, and Paul is softie. Odom will be focused the whole game and go hard for 48 minutes if that's what it takes. Paul Pierce has mental lapses, and tends to defer to Kobe. When I look at this matchup objectively, I see it as Odom >>>>>>>> Pierce.
8. Rajon Rondo has peaked. His athletic gifts are average at best, and he has no desire to improve. What have we heard about him working on his shot, the weakest part of his game? That's right, nothing. NOTHING. NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
9. The Celtics will stop playing team basketball this season. They're all a bunch of egomaniacs who are and were incapable of adopting a team mentality. That's why The Celtics are still stuck on Banner 16....
10. Laker fans have decided to bring their "A" game this season. No more arriving during the second quarter. No more walking out to the concessions area to call friends when there's 4 minutes left in the fourth. And most of all, no more fairweather syndrome. Laker fans will cheer their team on regardless of what's happening, just as they always have. If you need proof, just watch a tape of game four. Staples Center is going CRAZY the whole time.
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And just in case no one noticed.... that was sarcasm.
/ERA