Basketball & NBA 27 Feb 2010 10:28 pm
February Prediction
As the regular season nears its end in the NBA, it is time to start looking ahead to the postseason, where a number of teams will compete for the game’s biggest prize come June. However, only one of these teams will earn the right to be called champions of the NBA. So, even though it is still up in the air in terms of who will win the title, I can safely say that only one team can and will win it, barring injury.
This team is the Los Angeles Lakers. Nothing has made me believe so far this season that any team can knock off the defending champions this year. While some may point to the Lakers’ defense, record against the Cavaliers and Nuggets, inconsistent offense, and questionable acquisition of Ron Artest as reasons why they will not repeat, it is still the Lakers that have the best team in the league. Come April, May, and June, it will be the team’s combination of inside muscle, with Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom, outside scoring, which lies squarely on Kobe Bryant’s shoulders, and strong bench play that will undo all teams in the Lakers’ path. From Kobe to Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar, the Los Angeles Lakers simply have the best team in the NBA once again.
Less of a factor, but still relevant, is the poor play of the Cleveland Cavaliers after recently acquiring Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards. Watching the Cavs after making the trade, their defense, which was perhaps the team’s greatest strength, seems to have taken a step back. While only one significant player in the team’s rotation was lost in the trade, Zydrunas Ilgauskas (who may yet rejoin the team as a free agent), the addition of Jamison has thrown off the rotation, most notably the use of Anderson Varejao in defensive situations. Even though Coach Mike Brown now has another legitimate 20-point scorer at his disposal, he is forced to give up reliable post defense and rebounding. It is exactly this, defense and rebounding, that could potentially give Cleveland an edge over Los Angeles. However, it is looking more and more unlikely.
That is why, as of late February, the Los Angeles Lakers are my lock to win the NBA title come June. They are just too tough, too talented, and too focused to be denied this time around.