Are the Lakers going back to the Finals?

[conleyorbust]

I feel this poll should be 100% for option 3 it is way too early to tell how good the Lakers will be. They are missing one of there key players to injury, they have to work in their new acquisition maybe acquisitions by trade deadline while only having 2.5 months to build chemistry.

True, Pau hasn't even suited up. Its interesting, Pau definitely fits in the triangle, the skills he has make him pretty perfect for it. On the other hand, even if the team is more talented than a Boston, Detroit, Dallas, or SAS, do they complement eachother as much on both sides of the ball? The offense was already pretty smooth and adding another great offensive player only helps so much if it means less time for a defender/rebounder.

They are in the conversation for best team already and they are certainly among the most talented, we'll see.

[realfung]

There is no team in the west that comes CLOSE to the Lakers right now, we are definitely the favorites to win it all now.

Suns? Spurs? Dallas?

You think Basketball plays on paper??

[Day in the Life]

^^Are you kidding me? The SUNS? A Gasol-less HEALTHY Laker team would beat this current Suns squad. Bynum's just unstoppable against them. AND with the addition of Gasol...how the hell do you expect a small Suns squad to even get a lick of a rebound against:

Fisher
Kobe
LAMAR
GASOL
BYNUM

Lakers are pretty much going to the Finals in the VERY near future. Spurs are declining, Lakers have a much better frontcourt than the Mavs, Rockets...Jazz...Hornets...Lakers can take them all once they start gelling.

[G35]

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But with due respect this team should win it all with the talent on it.

Hmmm so on one hand you think that Gasol isn't really a large enough difference maker to make a difference on the Lakers.


But then on the other hand this team should win it all with the talent it has.



Playing both sides there huh. Don't want to make the Lakers the favorite but then you keep that card that the Lakers should win it all. Very wishy washy.......

[Jordan23Forever]

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There are a few teams that match the Lakers in the talent department, and are already more proven. (SAS, PHO, DAL, BOS, DET).

The Lakers easily have more talent, and, more importantly, a better balance of talent (inside/outside and offense/defense) than the Mavs, SA, and Boston. They have a far better balance of talent than Phoenix and Detroit. All of Phoenix's talent is perimeter save for Amare, who isn't a traditional post up big man, nor a defensive intimidator; ditto for Dallas, and for SA outside Duncan. Detroit doesn't have much inside talent outside of Rasheed when he decides to be a normal big man; McDyess is nice, but just a poor man's Bynum at this point in his career.

Lakers fans are kidding themselves if they don't think they have the most satcked team in the league when you take balance of talent into account. Hell, they're top 4 even when you don't account for balance of talent/redundant skills.

[semi-sentient]

Here's a good read into why Gasol is a perfect fit for the triangle and what roles he will play: How Pau Gasol fits into the Triangle Offense.

[The Prodigy]

The Lakers success has A LOT to do with Andrew Bynum. If AB makes his return iwithn the 8 week time table, that should give him enough time to shake off the rust and get back to close to 100% come playoff time. If he does not come back, Gasol isn't enough to put us at the level of the Spurs or Celtics. He improves us considerably but not quite to championship level

[JordansBulls]

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There are a few teams that match the Lakers in the talent department, and are already more proven. (SAS, PHO, DAL, BOS, DET). Then there are some teams that have close to the same amount of talent, that are not proven (HOU,DEN,UTA) ~ Then some borderline talent teams (NO,GS), and maybe add Cleveland in the mix because of chemistry/defense. It takes a lot of things to win a championship, talent first, luck with injuries, and chemistry. There are several talented teams, there is no "That team should win no doubt on paper." Simply stated: you are trying to put anything less than a championship this year as a failure of Kobe Bryant (your mo)... after all the second youngest? team usually doesn't win the chip.

This year the Lakers priority is to get healthy, and gel together and go strong for a playoff push. Success would be getting past the 1st round, and giving a hard fought battle against a playoff tested team. Then next year the expectations (if healthy) should be finals/title.

I am not really putting any pressure on them. The fans are. Many are saying the Lakers would beat Boston in a series. I say if you think they can beat Boston and they don't win the title, then that has to be considered as a failure.

[kno]

I am not really putting any pressure on them. The fans are. Many are saying the Lakers would beat Boston in a series. I say if you think they can beat Boston and they don't win the title, then that has to be considered as a failure.

Umm.. no. At least not Laker fans.

Most Laker fans are aware tha the team is stacked, but they are also conscious enough to say that a title this season isnt the most likely possibility.

[Tesla]

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The Lakers easily have more talent, and, more importantly, a better balance of talent (inside/outside and offense/defense) than the Mavs, SA, and Boston. They have a far better balance of talent than Phoenix and Detroit. All of Phoenix's talent is perimeter save for Amare, who isn't a traditional post up big man, nor a defensive intimidator; ditto for Dallas, and for SA outside Duncan. Detroit doesn't have much inside talent outside of Rasheed when he decides to be a normal big man; McDyess is nice, but just a poor man's Bynum at this point in his career.

Lakers fans are kidding themselves if they don't think they have the most satcked team in the league when you take balance of talent into account. Hell, they're top 4 even when you don't account for balance of talent/redundant skills.

I disagree... The talent is simply on par with those teams (DAL, SAS, DET, BOS, and PHO). You could give the slight edge depending on preference, or style, players, etc... but they are all comparable. I don't understand your balance of talent/redundant skills..... the Spurs + Celtics easily have as good as anywhere in that department, plus better defensive teams, and defensive personel.

It doesn't matter though... I'm not going to argue it with you... you thinking in terms of message board flame wars rather than being honest with yourself.

[second_coming32]

I don't know if they get there this year, but if Bynum comes back healthy a couple weeks before the Playoffs....yeah, they'll be there. Nobody in the west scares me. The Lakers owned everbody in the west before Bynum got hurt, and that was before the arrival of Gasol. No one wanted to call the Lakers contenders before Gasol got there, but no one wanted to play them either. IF Bynum comes back, the West is theres.

[Retrolock]

No, not just yet. This team is still unproven. They may win a few more games, but in the playoffs, the crunch time, the more savvy teams will more than likely win it out, eg SA, DAL, PHX.

But who knows? Maybe next year? Kobe can now shut up during offseason lol.

[ChocolateThundr]

If Bynum comes back 100%, which I kind of doubt, then I dont fear Lakers losing to anyone in the West except to San Antonio.

[Bgil]

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But with due respect this team should win it all with the talent on it.

I find it funny that people think we have just AWESOME (!) talent. I see us as one Superstar, two borderline all-stars, and an un-and-coming big man. That's certainly less than Denver, and NJ, PHX, and Houston IMO. I just think we use our talent better than every other team in the league other than DET and DAL. But it's been that way for years now.

I'll concede that we have much more balance than NJ and we don't run a gimmicky system like PHX but we don't really have THAT much more talent. A lot of credit should go to Kobe, Lamar, Phil, Mitch, and our coaching staff because half the impact players on our roster would be crap almost anywhere else.

I doubt anyone else ever gets anything useful out of Kwame, Smush, or Mihm.

[Jordan23Forever]

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It doesn't matter though... I'm not going to argue it with you... you thinking in terms of message board flame wars rather than being honest with yourself.

No, I'm not. Show me a team with both perimeter and interior talent like LA has? By next season, LA will have not one, but two big men capable of 18/10/2+ blk/52%+ shooting. How many teams even have one? Then throw in Odom (15/8/4 worst case scenario, who can play both perimeter and inside/on the boards) and Kobe (top 3 player in the league) along with two good defensive PG/combo guards capable of giving you 10-17 points on any given night on good shooting.

They have inside, they have outside, they have offense and defense, they have shooters and bangers, rebounders and playmakers, shotblockers and athletes. No team has this combination to this degree. Not one. Like I said, on talent alone, maybe 3 teams are on their level (Phoenix/Dallas), but when you factor in the balance, it's no contest.

[Magz50]

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Then throw in Odom (15/8/4 worst case scenario

Odom is averaging 13, 9 and 3 now without any big man competition for stats. Throw in Gasol and Bynum coming back Odoms stats are gonna look more like 4p 4rbs and 1as a game. Worst case scenario.

[Kobay]

The west is packed its not that easy as many think.

[Jordan23Forever]

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Odom is averaging 13, 9 and 3 now without any big man competition for stats. Throw in Gasol and Bynum coming back Odoms stats are gonna look more like 4p 4rbs and 1as a game. Worst case scenario.

Umm, how about you check Odom's numbers the past two seasons and postseasons and not look at a halfway completed season where he's coming off an injury and is clearly playing below his usual level. There's no reason to suspect that his current level of play will continue indefinitely when we have the last 3-5 seasons as evidence to the contrary.

[Esko]

I would still take the Suns, Mavs, Jazz, Hornets, and Spurs all over the Lakers if they played in a 7-game series. So, to answer your question:

No chance in hell.

[Jules Winnfield]

All I know is that the Laker haters are strategic and Kobe better damn sure deliver the title soon...cause if he doesn't, they'll point to this and say "see, see..."