Health Wealth Matters

A Preview of the ’09-’10 Los Angeles Lakers

Written by Aaron Harden on December 11th, 2009

The Los Angeles Lakers made a statement last season. In the face of so many naysayers, Kobe Bryant proved that this team had what it takes to win a championship. Many fans and experts doubted Kobe Bryant once the Lakers lost Shaq.

Kobe Bryant proved that the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t need Shaquille O’Neal to win an NBA title. He did have the help of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom (two big men), but they’re not Shaquille O’Neal in his prime.

It should also be noted that the only significant player the Lakers have lost is Trevor Ariza. While Ariza was a valuable role player in Los Angeles, he’s not one of the team’s stars, so all indicators would point to the notion that they should be okay without him.

More importantly, the Lakers have made a big acquisition during the off season and this has led many to believe that the team will dominate the league flat out during the 2009-2010 NBA basketball season.

Ron Artest, having come to LA by way of Houston, is one of the great defenders in the game of basketball, and a strong force on offense too. He’s said to be responsible for much of Houston’s success during the past two seasons, and his presence in LA bolsters an already strong roster. His veteran experience should feed well into the culture in Los Angeles, and many believe that the Lakers should run away from the competition this season.

The only issues with Ron Artest is problems he may face off the court, but I believe those days are pretty much behind him as he’s learned his lesson.

Still, other teams in the league have steadily improved over the past few years, and some like Orlando, Cleveland, San Antonio, and Boston have all made worthy acquisitions too.

As long as Kobe continues to play at this level, the Lakers will continue to be contenders for another championship.

For more on the Lakers, check out the Lakers forum at RootZoo Sports. Enjoy their NBA pick ‘em and more, all for free.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 11th, 2009 at 8:08 am and is filed under Recreation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.