"Lakers Are Favored to Win It All in 2009"

[campybatman]

I prefer to take a wait-and-see approach for picking any team to come out of the western conference for obvious reason. Personally, I feel the national media and Los Angeles Lakers fans are making too much of the return next season of Andrew Bynum. The next season isn't here yet. Let him get back to 100% status first. Still, a front court of Gasol, (possibly) Artest and Bynum would be formidable opponents against most of the league except for teams like Boston, Houston and Utah that could match them with their own talented front court.

In my opinion, an impressive starting five doesn't make you an instant contender. You need an equally up to task bench. Boston knows this criticism all too well entering this season. The Lakers could pursue Ron Artest during the off season. That is, if Sacramento could be convinced to take back the expiring contract of Lamar Odom. The Kings would've to add another contract or two, though. Also, the Lakers must reshape their bench. Trade Odom and Vladimir Radmanovic for starters.

Cheer up, Lakers fans: there's always next year. Not even 24 hours after the Celtics completely dismantled the Lakers to win the NBA title, Boston is getting very little respect from the oddsmakers regarding their chances to repeat the feat next season. According to one website, the Celtics aren't favored to win the championship in 2009: the Lakers are. Boston is currently a 4-1 favorite, while the Lakers are just 2-1.

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/06/ ... l-in-2009/

Privately, some folks at the upper levels in Lakerland think that these Finals were a bonus and only a prelude to when they get really dangerous when Andrew Bynum comes back from his knee injury. Jackson gave a glimpse into that mindset when he said, "We were surprised we were here, and we're glad that we had an opportunity." ESPN.com

The Lakers saw just how tough Boston's defense was in winning the NBA championship. "I think that if we're going to learn anything from this series is that we can't expect to win a championship focusing on the offensive end," Bryant said. "We have to be able to hold people down as well. We're pretty good at it, but I think we can be much better." Coach Phil Jackson said, "We have to get some players if we're going to come back and repeat, to have that kind of aggressiveness that we need." Riverside Press-Enterprise

The Lakers would like to bring in Sacramento's Ron Artest, who attended a few Laker games at Staples Center in these playoffs and was in the TD Banknorth Garden on Tuesday. He was wearing a "Property of Kings" t-shirt, and he'll remain that way unless he opts out of his contract this summer. He said he doesn't plan to do so. ESPN.com

[SuperDeluxe]

Ron Artest would be the perfect guy to make the somewhat dysfunctional Lakers extremely dysfunctional. Do it, Mitch!

[PPAW4Life]

If they do not address their defense as a whole I don't see them getting passed the Hornets or the Spurs next year.

I think when they got Gasol back from his injury and the playoffs rolled around they just hit their peak and stride.....got really hot and the other playoff teams out West wasn't ready for it add the significantly horrible calls and blunders by the teams was the only way the Lakers made it to the Finals.

The media is spinning the "Lakers are favored" next year only because they're supposedly "young".

Well the only real "young" chip they have is Bynum and who knows how he will play returning from injury.

Kobe will be Kobe but Odom and Gasol may never recover from their heartless performances in the Finals....they may not even REMAIN a Laker and get shipped off. All the other "young" guys they have really aren't all that special.

Farmar and Sasha are decent BENCH players....but that's about it. They're streaky and don't play defense or have size liabilities. Who else is suppose to be any good?

Ariza?

Walton?

Benga?

In all honesty, the Lakers were very fortunate to make the playoffs....let alone the Finals. Kobe was on the brink of playing for the Bulls or Dallas.....Mitch didn't have the balls to trade him and they lucked out getting Gasol for next to nothing.

[campybatman]

The Lakers have an interest in Arest and Artest likes Bryant and is a friend of Odom, if that matters. Next season for the Lakers fills me with intrigue because if the Lakers fail to make the NBA finals. Would Bryant opt out after next season and head for New York or where ever. With that said, there will be a lot of pressure for Bynum to improve upon this season which was pretty good. Also, there's the situation of signing Bynum to a contract extension. How much is Bynum and agent seeking? Although, he might not be in Bynum's class. AInge was smart to quickly lock up Perkins or at convincing Perkins to accept a modest contract given the league's lack of true centers.

[Collinto]

I love it. The Lakers being favored seems to work out for us...

[pballa]

i hope they dont get another great trade and give up odom for artest or something

[semi-sentient]

i hope they dont get another great trade and give up odom for artest or something

[DEEP3CL]

Good post bonsaiflipflops , bottom line is it's way too early to determine what we'll do. It's quite obvious we have to improve in the middle. Unlike most of the uneducated who watch ball it amazes me to see people say we won't improve much by Bynum coming back. Before his season ending injury he was averaging 18 point and 13 rebounds and 2 blocks in his last 17 games.

Getting him back is equal to signing a free agent who can play. I think most fans prospective of Bynum is way off because they don't see him every night like us L.A. fans do. Flat out the boy can play and he's only going to be 21 at the start of the season. Like it or not teams are going to have to deal with him.

But really our weak spot is at the 3 spot, we have over 30 million invested in that position and just not getting the production. Odom is just too up and down but his biggest problem is he can't hit the jumper on demand. The Artest scenarios are not far off, he has wanted to play in L.A. for years.

People will question the move ( which will take a lot of maneuvering to get it done ) but it'll work because he wants to win.

Once again great post man, it's nice to see mature guys actually thinking of their topics rather then just posting a one liner like I've saw in this thread. I'm old school and know ball like no other, Sorry to say it but these young fans don't know jack sh*t about discussing ball. They just want their favorite teams to win and they never offer nothing to these types of discussion.

[Tirion]

that's a good thing for Celts, they absolutely THRIVE as underdogs.
also west is super tough, good luck to fakers facing up-and-rising teams like NO, Portland, Utah and some of the former heavyweghts that are still dangerous. getting homecoart advantage over a EC top seed will be an improbable task.
not to mention that I'm fairly sure right now that you just can't built a championship team around kobe. he's to much of a bad teammate, his behavior and attitude in this year Finals exposed him as a cancer and loser he is. he may have just lost it.

[GreenGrizz]

The Lakers are simply overrated. They looked more like a cinderella team to me.

[campybatman]

Once again great post man...

Thanks. I prefer intelligent conversations and to converse than argue. Sometimes, I allow myself to get sidetracked by irksome posters. Especially, the Boston ones. I seldom will interact with the posters of other teams. So, they're a non issue with me. Neither do I always comment about another team seeing my team as being more important to focus on. It isn't until the off season and the trade deadline that your mind becomes creative toward players movements.

As said, I don't hate the L.A. Lakers franchise nor do I feel that way with other ones. It's the fans and the national media that can get under your skin if you allow them to. It's tough. When I dislike something. I'll call out the player or head coach. I can separate my dislike of a player or head coach from that franchise, is my point. You can't like everyone, right? Anyways, it's fun to imagine what I would do to help another team rather than my own because everyone believes they can be a GM inside.

[HitMan52]

Just to let you guys know the only way Ron Artest goes to the lakers is if he opts out and takes the MLE to go to LA because there is no way the Maloofs (Kings owners) will ever do any favors for the lakers whether it be trading him for Odom or helping them in a sign and trade unless it is completely lopsided in favor for the Lakers.

Let me put it this way in order for the Lakers to trade for Artest it would take either Bynum or Kobe
but for anyone else you could get him for pennies on the dollar.

Maybe the Kings want to help out another Western Conference team by trading Artest to either the Rockets or the Spurs

Parker
Manu
Artest
Duncan
Oberto

That is one great defensive starting five

or

Alston
McGrady
Artest/Battier
Landry/Scola
Yao

Rockets will have two of the best defensive perimeters in the league and maybe the Maloofs help out Adelman.

But I am probably just talking out of my ass.

[campybatman]

Houston and San Antonio don't need him when both of them already have two of the league's best defending small forwards besides Artest in the NBA? If not the Lakers, Artest makes sense with New York or Toronto. Still, I think Artest will be traded before the deadline. Otherwise, Sacramento gets nothing for him unless he agrees to an extension which I'd read he's open to.

[GuyClinch]

Just to let you guys know the only way Ron Artest goes to the lakers is if he opts out and takes the MLE to go to LA because there is no way the Maloofs (Kings owners) will ever do any favors for the lakers whether it be trading him for Odom or helping them in a sign and trade unless it is completely lopsided in favor for the Lakers.

Artest strikes me as a Lakers pipe dream. Why would the Kings trade him for Odom? The only motiviation would be to help the Lakers win a championship. It's not like Odom is going to really help them. <g>

I think Artest would end up in NY. NY has the old Pacer GM here and NY has way more money then LA to throw around.

Pete

[Red2]

well they were favored to win this series too and how did that work out for them? I don't care and why are we worrying about next yea? let's celebrate and enjoy this one. I know from experience that it could be a long time before it comes again so let's not be in a hurry to get onto next year. let's live in the moment and enjoy this one

[campybatman]

The more I read Artest's name mentioned with the Lakers. The more I'm convinced that Artest won't be a King next season.

I bet Lakers fans are glad they didn't trade for B. Wallace. While Cavs fans are wishing they had instead of their team doing so.

This much, though, is a certainty: Kobe Bryant loves the idea of teaming with Ron Artest and the Lakers have already privately considered taking a turn in the Ron-Ron funhouse. It only gets interesting if the Lakers are anxious enough that they'll also take back a bad contract: Artest and Kenny Thomas for Lamar Odom, with minor cap-related tweaking of additional bodies. There's nothing that says they're anxious enough to inherit Thomas and $17.3 million the next two seasons, although L.A. will have to make a major financial decision on Odom at some point. The Lakers had Artest on their Plan B list, along with the likes of Ben Wallace, if the Pau Gasol trade had not panned out. Sacramento Bee

The Lakers are expected to wait and see how Bynum looks in training camp before signing him to an extension. If they don't sign him by the end of October, he becomes a restricted free agent in July 2009, though the Lakers are then able to match any offer sheet he signs with another team. Bynum was on the verge of a breakout season, averaging 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds a game, numbers aided by six dominant games in January in which he averaged 17.3 points and 12.2 rebounds before getting hurt by coming down on Odom's left foot while reaching back for a rebound. Los Angeles Times

[TheSheriff]

The Lakers are going to do something to even get back to the Finals let alone win it. Not does Bynum have only a few dozen productive games in his career, but he is coming off a major injury. Plus they are stuck with Lamar Odom, who is about as weak as they come. Vlad just got owned by Pierce for 5 of six games. Sasha might be able to explode for the occasion 20 point game, but his defense is terrible. Fischer is no spring chicken. The Lakers have some real issues.

[campybatman]

Will we see Gasol's revenge next season. Stay tuned...

Jokes aside, I watched on TV at what Gasol's referring to and it was pretty bad to see as a Celtics fan. Certainly, unnecessary behavior no matter your age. Don't show the world how stupid you can behave after winning a NBA championship. I mean you can make yourselves look bad even in victory. Really, I didn't see the point of it. The Lakers were going home. Let it be.



"I'm definitely going to keep these feelings because it wasn't pleasant to see all the Boston fans go crazy on us after the game and hitting the bus and all that crap. It's just something I'm going to keep in mind all year long until we get there again," he said.

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/ ... ext_year/#

[spf211]

The Celtics could really get some motivational benefits with this talk next year. "One year wonder," "one and done," "old and tired," with the Lakers ready to compete "for a decade" and possibly "LeBron ready to dominate."

This team needs more motivation -- I hope people question nationally if they're a good team, if Allen-Garnett-Pierce are HOF caliber players, if they're fading in a rising East. All of it. Love it. Keep it coming.

A team like Detroit gets too much respect and they're never able to get over the hump again.

[ParticleMan]

Just adding Bynum to this team is definitely a big boost for them. I'm not sure they should be favored, but they've got as good a shot as anyone with that team.

I think people are making too much of the Game 6 blowout. We're not that much better than the Lakers. We were due for a game where we put it all together, and luckily it was Game 6, but c'mon, the series wasn't a sweep, it was 4-2. and the only reason it wasn't closer is because of an absolute miracle of a comeback.

With more defense and rebounding, the Lakers will be very tough. Guess who gives them both? Bynum. I don't think he's some kind of superstar like many Laker fans seem to think, but he's WAY better than anything they have. A frontline of Bynum, Gasol, Odom (even putting aside Artest) is awfully tough. The bench gets better with Radman there, where he belongs. It's a scary team, no question.