Don’t forget these are some of the same GMs that gave outlandish contracts to Eddy Curry, Kenyon Martin, Peja Stojakovic, Elton Brand and Raef LaFrentz.
So take anything that these general managers predict with a crater of salt.
The Lakers will not repeat this season.
Several NBA teams have gotten better this offseason, but the Lakers didn't make any major moves to upgrade their team.
The Boston Celtics put up a surprising fight in the NBA Finals last year, and that was before they added Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal. The Celtics addressed their one need this season, frontcourt depth, while the Lakers added Steve Blake.
Blake is a nice addition, but how is Derek Fisher still starting for a championship team? Fisher may still hit those game-saving shots, but he doesn’t sink many others. He averaged 7.5 points per game last season, his lowest output since his 2003-04 stint with the Lakers. Still, Fisher is slated to be the starting point guard for the purple and gold.
The champs also are hampered with injuries heading into the season. Kobe Bryant told the world after his first preseason game that his knee is at 60 percent. With less than three weeks until the Lakers' first regular-season game against the Houston Rockets, Bryant's knee likely won’t be 100 percent.
Andrew Bynum also isn’t completely healthy and may be the oldest 23-year-old in the NBA. He had arthroscopic knee surgery in July and was supposed to make a full recovery before the regular season, but that’s not going to happen. Phil Jackson already has toyed with the idea of putting a minutes limit on Bynum to prevent further injuries. Bynum is not sold on the idea.
"We already tried to do that — limit minutes," Bynum told ESPN.com. "I think it maybe can work, maybe not. I don't know."
The Lakers have proven they can win without the big man, but they cannot do it without Kobe.
While smart money says the Lakers will get back to the NBA Finals, don't expect them to be the last team standing.
That honor will belong to the Heat.
Do you think the Lakers will win their third consecutive NBA championship? Share your thoughts below.
