ARE THE LAKERS LAST YEAR’S CELTICS?
May 26, 2009 by Andy Socrates
There is too much negative press for a Los Angeles Lakers team that went 65-17 in the regular season and finished with the second best record in the league behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Lakers have all the pieces to win it all this year but have so far not dominated teams. They struggled in seven game against the Rockets and that no one knew which team would show up in each game of that series. But the fact is they won and are now in the Western Conference Finals. Last year, the Lakers breezed through the Western Conference and everyone jumped on the Laker bandwagon. However, they got out-muscled by a Boston Celtics team that up until the Finals played the way the Lakers are playing this year.
Defense wins championships. This year, the Lakers have the ability to play lock-down defense and shut down teams, especially with Trevor Ariza and Kobe Bryant in the fold. Plus, it helps to have the best closer in the game in Bryant. Fighting through some adversity before reaching the Finals this year will definitely help the Lakers. Kenny Smith thinks the Lakers will win but don’t deserve it because of their play. Charles Barkley feels they are disrespecting the game with their play given their superb talent. But the bottom line is winning, and that’s what they’ve been doing. Despite their Jekyll-and-Hyde nature, they’re still the favorites to win it all.
The Celtics had the Big Three last year and fought seven games in each their first two playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks and the Cavs. No one thought they would struggle against the lowly Hawks. But playing a long series allow teams to build some meddle for the next round. People doubted the Celtics last year just like people doubt the Lakers this year.
What people are forgetting is that the Lakers still have a bitter taste in their mouth from a painful loss from last year. The Lakers will beat the Nuggets and they will make the Finals. Sure, they struggled with Game 4 on Monday, but the adversity will only strengthen their resolve.
Once they make the Finals this year, expect them to out-play and out-muscle the opposing team in six games regardless of whether it will be LeBron James and the Cavs or Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.
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