By John Carroll, Scouts Inc.
The Los Angeles Lakers are the defending NBA Champions. They are the most talented team in the West and the only thing that may prevent them from winning the championship again is themselves. The Lakers did what they were supposed to do this year by winning the west, grabbing home court advantage throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. They did this while they had a big bull’s-eye on their back. It is true that the Lakers are not playing particularly well as they enter the playoffs and in the matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder they will be running into one of the youngest and hungriest teams in the NBA.
Everyone around the NBA will be pulling for Kevin Durant and the Thunder to pull a first-round upset. So if the Lakers are going to win it again they must get Andrew Bynum back healthy, get Ron Artest playing at a high level, and get back to playing as a team without the interpersonal problems that seem to be sucking the fun and production out of the team.
The Los Angeles Lakers are the defending NBA Champions. They are the most talented team in the West and the only thing that may prevent them from winning the championship again is themselves. The Lakers did what they were supposed to do this year by winning the west, grabbing home court advantage throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. They did this while they had a big bull’s-eye on their back. It is true that the Lakers are not playing particularly well as they enter the playoffs and in the matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder they will be running into one of the youngest and hungriest teams in the NBA.
Everyone around the NBA will be pulling for Kevin Durant and the Thunder to pull a first-round upset. So if the Lakers are going to win it again they must get Andrew Bynum back healthy, get Ron Artest playing at a high level, and get back to playing as a team without the interpersonal problems that seem to be sucking the fun and production out of the team.
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