[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]LarryDavid wrote:
Lakers-Bulls Finals if you ask me. The Lakers are heating up at the right time and I can see them beating pretty much any team in the West including the Spurs. The team that I think could give them a big challenge more than any one else is OKC, and they might not get to face LA if the SAS eliminates them.
I’d go ahead and say the Lakers are taking it, but I don’t know how good the Bulls really are. They’re not as battle-tested but they don’t seem like the kind of team that gives up. Originally, I had the Celts as the East favourites, but they’ve played pretty bad lately. And while that was the case last year, they’ve lost some key players that helped them majorly with the intangibles [especially Perkins] and replaced them with injury prone and/or old guys.
I look foreword to a Chicago-OKC rivalry in the next few years after the Lakers, Spurs, and Celts age out of contending. Rose vs. Durant. EDIT: I suppose Miami and NY could find it’s way into this conversation, but I don’t know if they’ll have the money or even opportunities to fix their imbalances after the new CBA. NY has a better shot of achieving this IMO.
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I’ve read Miami might be able to sign a legit role player or two this offseason (depending on new CBA of course).
I think with Perkins, OKC is LA’s biggest roadblock in the West. Ibaka/Perk is a LEGIT frontcourt defensive combo and can match up with Gasol/Bynum. That being said, the Lakers will go wherever Bynum takes them. If he can stay healthy the rest of the season and 4 consecutive playoff series (no small task for him), they’ll be in the Finals with a shot to win.
As much as I like the Bulls (and the Thibodeau coach of the year bet I made with 60:1 odds… can you say VEGAS after COY is announced?), you’re right that we don’t know how they’ll act as a team yet in the face of adversity. The road to the East still goes through BOS, though homecourt advantage helps a ton.
One thing I see from the Bulls: They really, REALLY want it.[/quote]
Agreed on Bynum being key player for the Lakers. In last years Finals when he was on the court Boston’s big men couldn’t contain Gasol, when he wasn’t there they handled him. I imagine he’ll be important in the same way if they face a team like OKC–not so much statistically but intangibly.
I think this summer is Miami’s best bet to improve their weaknesses, after that the salaries of their big 3 will get in the way. I know it’s easy to get around the cap if you have players already under contract making it go over, but it is hard to sign new guys once your over the cap. They’d have to trade, and they don’t have much outside their big 3 or draft picks. It’s tough to say what’ll happen to them.