ESPN Prediction / L.A. Love

[RebusRankin]

How does the injury affect Bynum? He seems to have taken much longer to come back than expected. Did the team purposely short change the rehab time? Was he more seriously injured than originally thought? Is he a lazy rehabber?

[Who]

I'm fine with LA being the frontrunner. They have an excellent squad and the return of Bynum is easily the biggest addition any Contender made.

I'm shocked at New Orleans being second though.

[JR Giddens]

I can't believe Laker fans think their going to be a new dynasty. Kobe has like 2-3(prime) years left. Kobe has played over 1000 games in his career and 5 NBA finals already. His quickness, foot speed, athleticism, post game, and defense are all in decline.

2 years from now in 2010 when Lebron gets some good offensive players when he's in brooklyn he'll murder kobe everytime 

[incoherent]

I might be the only person who thinks the Fakers will be worse next year.  They will not even be close to 1st in the West and no way do they even make it to the Finals.

[Fox40Kid]

I would love to see the Lakers make it out of the first round.  I would love to see them make it to the NBA Finals.  Then I would love to see the Celtics pound them for a second straight year.

Then I can turn on Around the Horn and listen to Bill Plaschke whine for the following 5 weeks!

[JR Giddens]

I might be the only person who thinks the Fakers will be worse next year.  They will not even be close to 1st in the West and no way do they even make it to the Finals.

Just because Faker fans/Kobeaners are blind doesn't mean Boston fans have to stoop down to their level!
Remember that Lakers were like 36-7 after the Gasol trade b4 thr finals! Don't let the Lakers 39 point beatdown fool you!

Celtics>Fakers N-E time tho

[dirtyeggs]

BSPN.

ahahah .... first time I have heard that.

Ya let the C's use this to motivate them.  The Lakers will be better but so will the C's.  They had a year to gel 

[Mr October]

I might be the only person who thinks the Fakers will be worse next year.  They will not even be close to 1st in the West and no way do they even make it to the Finals.

I actually heard some good Laker discussion in LA between a couple local media folks, and they were actually expressing concern about the Lakers' chances next year, as well as being a little doubtful that LA can catch Boston... even with a healthy Bynum.

They think that playing Bynum and Gasol together is going to be a problem on defense, as neither of them can get out and guard a perimeter 4 like KG.

Also they still have a major defensive hole at the 1 with fisher getting older, while Rondo continues to get better with experience. ...not to mention Chris Paul, Deron Williams growth as well.

At least for 1 night the purple sun glasses were off in LA.

I firmly believe this too. Bynum's return is fools gold. They're going to have a lot of growing pains, and tons of pressure all season long. Bynum will help no doubt, but the whole is not greater than the sum of the parts in Laker land.

[D Dub]

I might be the only person who thinks the Fakers will be worse next year.  They will not even be close to 1st in the West and no way do they even make it to the Finals.

Just because Faker fans/Kobeaners are blind doesn't mean Boston fans have to stoop down to their level!
Remember that Lakers were like 36-7 after the Gasol trade b4 thr finals! Don't let the Lakers 39 point beatdown fool you!

Celtics>Fakers N-E time tho

I don't know, JR.  LA just doesn't look that much better than everyone else out West.  They had the easiest path to the Finals that I have ever seen in my life last year.  They were very lucky to even get there.

Now this year, they get even softer losing Turiaf, and are pinning all their hopes on 21 year old big man who is basicly a garbage man.  Bynum does not have Al Jefferson like skills.  He will not command a double team on the block and gets all his points off rebounds and broken plays.  Sure, kids got potential, but potential is just that until you prove it on the big stage.

The likes of Timmy, Oden, Boozer, and Yao are gonna own this kid.  Sure LA will win there fair share of regular season games, but this team is still way too soft to survive a 7 game series against a team with a legit big.  Don't be surprised when Portland pulls the major upset of the playoffs and drops LA early.

[JR Giddens]

Bynum as a 20 year old avg 13 points and 10 reb in less than 30 mpg. Where were Boozer, Duncan, Yao, and Perk at age 20?

Results are results no matter how these players gewt their number. However Bynums numbers would decrease against the celtics defense! Yes I know Perk dominated Bynum in those two games!

Fans are so biased. If your gonna make an argument you should kno the other side as well as your own!

[freshinthehouse]

I'm fine with LA being the frontrunner. They have an excellent squad and the return of Bynum is easily the biggest addition any Contender made.

I'm shocked at New Orleans being second though.

Agreed.  If I were a betting man, my money would be on L.A, ever so slightly over the C's.  Adding Bynum is huge.  But New Orleans?  Maybe they will make that jump this year, but I doubt it.  I think 2010 will be their year to shine. 

[celticmaestro]

I'm fine with LA being the frontrunner. They have an excellent squad and the return of Bynum is easily the biggest addition any Contender made.

I'm shocked at New Orleans being second though.

Yeah I agree too. I like not being the favorite, because favorites normally falter.

[nickagneta]

Can someone please explain to me how every year before the season starts the favorite is always out West yet it seems that except for San Antonio all the Champs come out of the East?