Are the Lakers Set to Win It All? - Joe Chacon's Blog

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Joe Chacon's Blog

Are the Lakers Set to Win It All? Stuck

Posted on October 23, 2012 at 08:25 PM.

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One week from today the chaos starts all over again for NBA fans. Being a fan of most teams in the NBA doesn�t hold the same optimism as it does in other leagues such as the NFL, NHL, and MLB. If you�re a fan of the Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Bobcats, or Cleveland Cavaliers then you know that you have no shot of seeing your team hoist a championship trophy this year.

It�s a buzzkill to start any season knowing that, but let�s face it, it�s true.

What we have in today�s NBA is the fact of knowing only four teams have a legitimate shot of being crowned a champion this year. You know those teams well already. They are the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs. Believe me, the Spurs squeezed onto this list but it is hard to discount such a well-oiled machine that put together a 50-16 record last year. Where are the Clippers you ask? Well, they are the Clippers, they can�t succeed, it must be written somewhere in their franchise agreement with the NBA because they always seem to blow it one way or another.

That�s precisely how I feel about this year�s Lakers team. One way or another they are going to blow it.

I�m looking forward to to watching this squad play � although if you live in the Los Angeles area and don�t have a particular cable service then you won�t be able to watch any of the games unless it�s on nationally. Well, that�s for another rant.

The starting five is the best in the NBA. That�s the cut and dry, plain and simple, or however you want to say it. It�s the truth. Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard have been put together at just about the right time. A year or two ago would have been better, but even the older players are still playing at a high level. Unfortunately, these guys are going to get hurt at some point in the regular season or playoffs. When that happens, who do the Lakers have on the bench to make an impact?

As of right now, the second string consists of Steve Blake (PG), Jodie Meeks (SG), Devin Ebanks (SF), Antawn Jamison (PF), and Jordan Hill (C). That�s not necessarily the security blanket that Lakers fans are going to feel warm about. Blake hasn�t been able to produce consistently since his days with Portland, but Meeks, Ebanks, and Hill have all shown improvement. Jamison is one of the good guys in the league and will be a strong Derek Fisher type of presence in the locker room.

Speaking of Derek Fisher, don�t be surprised if he is wearing the purple and gold again sometime during the season.

If the Lakers 0-6 preseason record is making you nervous, it shouldn�t. Coach Mike Brown has said he isn�t even game planning for these exhibition games and the players aren�t one bit worried about it.

The Lakers play the bulk of their games against Golden State, Sacramento, Phoenix, and the LA Clippers. In looking through their schedule and checking off a W or L for each of them (assuming everyone is healthy) I have them winning right around 60 games. If they do turn out to be injury prone then I�d project them to be around the 55 win mark. If the team has locked up a high seed in the playoffs I would expect Coach Brown to do everything possible to rest his guys towards the end of the regular season. He must know that this team is built for one purpose, the playoff format.

I can say with absolute certainty that if the Lakers starting five is completely healthy heading into and throughout the playoffs, they will win the NBA Championship this season. I also believe, however, that the chances of that happening are slim.

As much as I want the Lakers to win it all this year, and as much as I dislike the Miami Heat, I just think the Heat are going to build off of their title run from last year and be even more impressive this year. The Lakers always seem to find a way to disappoint me with mid-season drama, temper tantrums, and unnecessary gossip about whether or not they have the right coach.

Miami is going back-to-back.

Joe Chacon is a staff writer for Operation Sports and a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeChacon.

Comments

# 1 Gramps91 @ Oct 23

I would really like to see the Lakers win to be honest. Not a huge fan of either Kobe or Howard, but would live to see Nash finally win a title. If anyone deserves it it's him.

However, I think the heat will sadly win it again.

I see no hope for my Celts winning, but am looking for them to have a good run.

# 2 tril @ Oct 23

Im a hige Laker fan, but IMO they aer bit too old to win it all, and lack depth.
If everyone stays healthy I predict a rematch of last year in the finals.

# 3 tarek @ Oct 23

My interest this season lies in seeing what the Lakers can do.
My Knicks should be good, and I'll keep an eye on them.

What is sad is just how resigned everyone seems to be that Miami will win again. And even more so, just how disappointing that fact actually is.

I think you'll be surprised with the Lakers 2nd unit. I think that Jordan Hill needs to step up because Howard will be in foul trouble alot. The Lakers lack a defensive stopper and athleticism on the perimeter (Kobe, Nash and World Peace aren't stopping anyone anymore).

Seeing Nash get a ring would be good though, and might go a way to restore my faith in the NBA.

# 4 ParisB @ Oct 24

I think its a little naive to predict injuries. The "too old" is a tired approach, the Lakers are younger than the '08 Celtics were and the '10 Mavericks. The Spurs have been called old for the last five years and have still been running 55 win seasons. Old is overrated when you're still playing at an elite level like Nash, Kobe, Gasol still are. Dwight Howard single handedly made Orlando a threat, so has Nash with Phoenix. Now they're playing together with Kobe and Pau and an in shape MWP. Meeks and Jamisin can start on a lot of teams. Hill played well last season and givesthem youth and athleticism.

Its just scary thinking of the potential. Far more than Miami and all their flaws who still made it to the Finals their first year.