Friday, July 31st, 2009 at 9:00 am  |  124 responses

Some Ready to Hand Lakers 2010 Title in July

by Marcel Mutoni

To the joy and relief of the vast majority of Laker fans, including yours truly, Lamar Odom rejoined the band yesterday, more or less officially kicking off the title defense for next season. Logic and history indicate that it will be a long, arduous, and possibly even disastrous journey for the Lakers, but not everyone thinks so.

According to some folks, this re-signing all but guarantees gaudy championship jewelry next June. Take this OC Register story for instance:

Ron Artest or Shannon Brown might have to run down the pass and save the playoff game and give Kobe Bryant a chance to grand-marshal his own parade again. But the Lakers, according to Thursday’s reports, know that Lamar Odom and his telescoping tentacles and his fastball jumper and his locker room sweet tooth and his general lovin’-life vibes will return to El Segundo. Along with another Lawrence F. O’Brien trophy. Yeah, it’s about that simple.

Without Odom, the Lakers were still going to win the Western Conference and make the NBA Finals for a third consecutive season. Then they would be crash-test dummies for Eastern powers who have buffed up…With him, and with no cataclysmic injuries, this budding junta cracks down on its opposition. NBA champions tend to repeat themselves, especially when they’re as young as are the Lakers.

The arrogance in the above is almost as stunning as it is insane.

Any number of things could go wrong for the Lakers in their quest to repeat: Injuries, complacency, locker room turmoil, Ron Artest doing something Artest-esque at the most inopportune time, etc. And what, are all of the other championship contenders in the League who’ve reloaded this summer simply going to lay down?

In life, there are no guarantees (least of all, when sports are involved.) So, let’s not get too excited with the L.A. title talk just yet.

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  • chingy

    I can see the cavs getting either ousted in the 2nd round but can also see them winning the whole thing

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    The Cavs aren’t winning anything but the second round at most.

  • whooo!

    Michael, i think in part it’s cuz the Spurs won 2 rings while the Lakers were sucking it up these past several years… ’03 and ’04 were great battles with those teams, and then the Lakers traded Shaq and were getting whooped by the Suns. the Spurs then went on to whoop the Suns…

  • whooo!

    oh, and can someone at slam PLEASE, PLEASE post this story! basically, it details Ron Artest catching the LAST bus to game 7 of the Lakers series… in his underwear… http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/60824/20090727/artest_made_a_habit_of_walking_around_in_underwear/

  • J-YO

    Micheal cant agree with you anymore. If you compare the spurs starting 5 with our starting 5, its a hands down beat down on paper(more on the actual court) with the exception being timmy and even then his whatever you want to call it over Pau is not by much. Timmy cant be stopped by Pau but same can be said for Pau against duncan.

  • J-YO

    Holidaty- Its called Bynum and Ariza weren’t there in 08 otherwise KG might be stuck at 0 chips and Kobe would be at 5 right now playa.

  • dirtystreethookerz

    if i were a spurs fan i would worry that duncan is past that ol’ point-of-no-return. dudes bones have a ton of miles. same goes for kg. that guys bones are now weaker than melba toast. so sad.

  • http://nba.com Daniel Hicks

    Im going to eat now.

  • http://www.alllooksame.com Tarzan Cooper

    can the season start today?

  • LA Huey

    I think Artest is a downgrade from Ariza and there isn’t that much of a gap between the Lakers and the Nuggets. And I would put the Spurs in the mix but, as much as I like them, I don’t believe they will be healthy when it counts.

  • http://bleacherreport.com/users/42594-Hoops4life- Overtime

    Champions tend to repeat themselves? Not since 2002 they don’t

  • Josh D

    This is complete trash they wouldn’t win the West without Lamar now LA will have a good chance of winning the west but the Spurs will give them a good challenge for it and by the way,Michael every year after the Spurs win a ring people say they’re the team 2 beat, but every year when they ain’t coming of a title, then people say they’re over the hill, however this year is different, thats why you better believe the Spurs r gonna go far, also TDs decline isn’t gonna b 2 big since so little of his game isn’t based around Athleticism, sure his numbers will drop a bit next year but thats mainly down to having so many scorers on the team, the Spurs have great D and their offense has about 8 or 9 8ppg+ guys

  • Sarah

    Nah, they’re not repeating.

  • http://facebook.com/jasennielsen jbn74sb

    The Spurs: Who guards Artest? Who guards Kobe? Aside from Duncan, who guards Gasol, Bynum, Odom?

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    Tony Parker will dance circles around Derrick Fisher, or any other LA point guard for that matter. Duncan is still better than Gasol. LA has the advantage with Kobe and Artest though. Kobe won’t be able to shut Ginobli down by himself, but he’ll have some back-up now. Artest can guard Jefferson pretty thoroughly I’m sure.

  • http://facebook.com/jasennielsen jbn74sb

    Stanley Roberts will dance circles around Fisher, but the Spurs have zero chance of matching up with us anywhere else. Duncan can guard any of the bigs, but not all of them. Boston is the one team that has the size to deal with us. That’s it.

  • http://www.sportsoutsider.wordpress.com jumpman3224

    espn reporting that jason williams’ exclusive negotiating rights go to the knicks, he will be a free agent if a deal isn’t reached by thursday…your namesake is back eboy.

  • http://www.alllooksame.com Tarzan Cooper

    bodie hasnt heard of mcdyess, mason jr, and probably quality theo

  • http://slamonline Negetivekreep

    The Spurs will be tough, (if sigh) but Mamba (beats robot in the WCF again) and wins another ring put him ahead of TIM on the all time list.

  • http://facebook.com/jasennielsen jbn74sb

    McDyess is 108, Ratliff is 112, and Mason sucks donkey balls.

  • http://slamonline.com Brad Long

    Theo Ratliff hasn’t produced in the NBA since Iverson was still relevant.

  • SG

    I don’t understand how Artest will ruin LA. Has anyone ever seen Ariza try to dribble to the hoop, he looks so clumsy with the damn ball. Ariza has become highly overrated…he is just a damn good hustle player and Artest can be that and a reliable option on offense…he shot a high % in the regular season from 3pt. Im pretty sure he will be open a lot this year. Also, everyone complained how La lacked toughness and they needed Artest…I think the laker haters are saying this to make themselves feel good about the upcoming season.

  • http://facebook.com/jasennielsen jbn74sb

    What did he ever produce?

  • http://Egotastic.com Michael

    Tony Parker has been running circles around fisher for years. It hasn’t mattered before and it won’t matter now. Kobe owns the Spurs more than any other team in the league and that was with bowen at his peak. Who the hell is going to gaurd him now? Ginobli has always had problems against Kobe, now add Artest to the mix and he may just stay injured to avoid the emberassment.

  • http://facebook.com/jasennielsen jbn74sb

    Kwame Brown has nearly identical career numbers to Ratliff. What a joke.

  • dirtystreethookerz

    spurs are more hyped than any other team this offseason, setting up fans for a major disappointment. this was a team that took a big step back from the previous year and have done little to fix their problems– namely an ageing cornerstone. if i’m a gm i take a few other guys before duncan for the pf. no doubt he’s top 20 all-time, but last season was a red flag that the body isn’t cashing the brains checks. another reason to be scared spurs fan- your d was terrible last year and you know it. namely, with duncans age, you’ve lost your only shotblocker. playing slow-it-down may have kept the stats presentable, but i dont see how rj or dice is fixing anything on that end. spurs are eternally likeable and do things the right way, yadda yadda so they’re the popular sports fan and writer pick right now, but check the vegas odds and you’ll see where they really sit in the western conference arms race.

  • badnewzb8ller

    did that guy just say kobe cant check ginobli?! wow! artest has never been known as a bad teammate. get that through your hater heads. its really damn annoying how boston fan,clev fan, magic fan and even spur fan hate on the ron ron signing when the fact is you would been drueling , foaming, and yelling championship if you scooped him up. so STFU already !

  • Eddieo

    The Lakers will stomp San Antonio just like every year. The Celtics – with a healthy team – lost to a healthy Laker team both times last year, same as with the Cavs. And RaTeed Wallace chucking up 3 pointers from 30 feet isn’t going to help the one and done Celdicks.

    Have some more Kool-Aid.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    @ badnewzb8ller: No, Kobe can’t “stop” Ginobli by himself. I don’t care how good Kobe is on offense, he isn’t going to stop Ginobli 1-on-1. BUT, the Lakers have really good team defense now, adding Ron Artest and having two durable big men down low. You guys act like Kobe is Shane Battier on defense. He’s not.
    Oh yeah, and Bynum is like the Lakers version of Greg Oden in terms of cheap fouling.

  • Repeat4sho

    I smell a repeat, must be hard for all you haters to accept that fact that the Lakers are gonna win again next season! Kobe, Gasol, Odom, Bynum, Artest…need I say more! No,I think not!!!

  • badnewzb8ller

    sure kobe’s D has tailed off a bit but i am quite sure he can check manu. dudes been in the league going on 14 years thats retirement age. but like you said they have that team D now. yea oden and bynum are similar in that reguard b ut thats it. BYNUM> ODEN by along shot.

  • http://www.nba.com Pardeep

    I am ready to hand it to them in 2010,2011 and maybe even 2012.

  • Pancho

    I cant believe y’all are saying that LA is going to win the title again for sure. They have a chance of course, but all the other contenders that just got A LOT better are gonna be on the way. Artest is better than Ariza but he can also be a liability and you know that.
    And repeating is hard as hell you know that too.
    La got Artest, lost Ariza and barely got Odomo candy-o back. But Cleveland, San Antonio, Orlando and Boston just got A LOT better this summer and now look just as good, if not better, than the Lakers on paper.

  • Pancho

    Lets start with Cleveland,
    First of all they got Shaq now, who is still one of the best big men in the league. He fits great in the Cavs system because he is also a great passer. He can stop any big man 1 on 1 and he is bigger than anybody else.
    They got Anthony Parker. He is a solid defender, great shooter (and clutch) 6’6 (they needed that at the SG position). I mean he makes them so much better.
    Jamario Moon is a good player, extremely athletic. he can shoot, he can finish above the rim like few others can. Remember the last guy who was a good dunker playing alongside LeBron? wow, that was ricky davis loooong time ago. Lebron is going to find Jamario cutting to the basket all day, specially with all eyes turned to LeBron and Shaq, 2 guys that demand a lot of attention.

    And of course LeBron, man… I mean who can be sleeping on him? ‘member how much better was he last season than the year before? what makes you think its going to be any different this season? Is anybody hungrier than him after last season? after all the hate this summer? He loves that shh.
    Look for him to win 2nd MVP and to be even more unstoppable.
    I can see the Cavs beating LA in 7 games. Specially with LeBron and Shaq ultra motivated to play against Kobe.

  • Pancho

    Boston was supposed to be in the Conference Finals last year against Cleveland. KG is the best PF today, way better than Pau. Without him is like having the Lakers playing without Kobe. Now they not only have him back and hungry but they added Rasheed Wallace!!
    He is one of the best post defenders in the league, he can shoot the three and the fadeaway, and when he smells a title he is on full gear.
    Add that to Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen coming from huge postseason performances. I mean Rondo surprised everybody, how good is this kid going to be? he was dropping triple doubles, talk about stepping up.
    Marquis Daniels is going to help them, even though he might not be a factor.
    But hell, a healthy Celtics squad last year could’ve beat the Lakers… so this year I can definitely see that happening.

  • Pancho

    And my favorite argument against LA repeating is the Spurs. Manu is going to be fresh after having his first summer off in the past decade, so he will be ready for his contract year. Tony is getting better and better. Timmy is still dominant. Richard jefferson is the best SF theyve had since Sean Elliot and he is happy to come back to relevance again. McDyess is old, but solid and a big body. DeJuan Blair is energetic and a good rebounder. Ratliff is a big man who can block shots and grab some boards… and give 6 hard fouls.
    And Roger Mason, George Hill, Matt Bonner, Michael Finley… Tons of three pointers!!! Way better 3pt shooting team than LA.
    I mean they are very deep and dangerous.
    I would say this is the best squad they’ve had in the Duncan Era, ever!
    I am not surprised people sleep on them though, they did the same every year they won the title.
    So, they’re pretty good. Very good. Good enough to win a title. Thats a title caliber squad in the same conference to get in the way of LA.

    The system seems to have eaten my Orlando post, but my point is that LA is looking great, but so are other teams. if LA wins this year, they will have to go thru some very very tough teams, that could beat em on any given night.

    Im not saying La is not going to win… But to say that some are ready to give the title to LA already is bullshhhh cause this year we have 5 legitimate contenders.

  • L

    It’s gonna be a hell of a battle but if they don’t get complacent, they should beat the spurs in 6 in the conference finals and whoever they face in 6 in the finals..L

  • http://shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com/ Tariq

    The NBA is the easiest league to predict. I handed the Lakers the 2009 title back in October 2008. I even blogged about how it was predestined or some sh*t. Now I’m not so sure about NEXT year’s edition, but this isn’t the NFL, where a team like the Ravens can go from 5-11 to the AFC championship game. We basically have 3-4 contenders, and all of them are in the East except the Lakers and Spurs. And the Spurs are formidable, but they aren’t the 2007 Spurs or the 2003 Spurs. So I don’t understand what’s so terrible about the article. The article mentioned “AND WITH NO CATACLYSMIC INJURIES…” as a condition for any repeat. That being said, I am deathly afraid of the Boston Celtics.

  • http://shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com/ Tariq

    Oh, and Shia and Brad:
    I have to disagree with you guys about Vince. I HATE that move for Orlando.

  • http://ballislife.com Moose

    Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids. This is stupid to be calling it in July.

  • intal

    c’mon L.A!2010 CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE WAY!

    “LEBRONZE SUCKS BABY! cant get some gold men

  • Zach

    It is too early to predict who is going to win it all. too many trades and factors have changed. LA will not win. It will either be the Celtics, Magic, or Spurs. LA will fall apart.

  • http://slamonline.com Brad Long

    ^Has anyone ever contridicted themselves this badly in the same comment before? “It is too early to predict who is going to win it all.” (2seconds later) “LA will not win”. I guess it’s not to early to predict who is NOT going to win it all. LMAO.

  • http://www.slamonline.com James the Balla

    hahaha @ Brad. Very true. And to call 3 other teams to take it. Cavs have a great shot, pending injuries. Lakers have a great shot, pending injuries. Spurs have great shot, pending injuries. Magic have a great shot, pending injuries. Celtics have a great shot, pending injuries. Plus Portland, people are sleeping on them. Denver. It will be a great season, I cannot wait. I am a HUGE laker fan as everyone on this site knows, but to call it now and say Lakers will win it quite hard. But I must say, Bron will get just as many wins this season as last but .. less rebounds and probly less points, but same ammount of assists. Look for Wade to go for MVP. Bron will do what Kobe does and sit back, ready for the playoffs.

  • http://slamonline.com John D

    I hope KG reads the OC Register.

  • jesse rojo

    Lakers to good they repeaten.
    p.s. lebron gots nothin on kobe

  • jesse rojo

    1. Fisher Jordan Shannon
    2. Kobe Sasha
    3. Ron Luke Morrison
    4. Pau Lamar Powell
    5. Bynum DJ
    nothin wrong there

  • http://slamonline.com J Dizzle

    Haha yea Zach, how can you say it’s too early, then rule someone out completely? LOL. Hater alert.

  • http://slamonline negetivekreep

    Yes The Spurs have a deep squad going into next season, but there’s NO WAY this is the best team in the (Tim era) #1 Tims getting older, #2 Dont forget what Bruce Bowen meant to this team, and the defensive monster they were when he & Tim were in their prime, #3 Robert Horry, the most clutch playoff “role player” ever. I’ll take both them guys + a younger timmy/Gino/Parker everyday of the week, over this team. Now will they give the Lakers all they can handle? Psssst! Give “Pop” a deep squad, and They’ll give anyone and everyone all they can handle. That being said, Not even the best coaching can compensate for lack of Talent. And no team, other than Boston, can match up with LA’s BIGS period. Add The best player in the NBA to the Mix….no wonder people are ready to hand them the title again, LA just built another Dynasty. Hate it or love it, you all know it.

  • BostonBaller

    I can’t wait for the season to start!! I’m watching WNBA right now…I love reading how everyone is a “hater” if they don’t agree with what is written. Sounds like the youngbloods out in the world claiming evering one is “hating on them” when in reality no one knows them or cares enough about them to hate them. lol.

    When will mt C’s sign G. Davis? M. Daniels will be a good fit and hope Pruitt doesn’t explode and have a coming out party playing for a conference rival.

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