Which teams will give the Lakers a run for their money this season?

As the NBA prepares for the official 2007-08 season, the Los Angles Lakers are left in a state of limbo, speculating whether star point-guard Kobe Bryant will return to play alongside his team. The leagues MVP point-scorer for last season has been voicing his concern with the Lakers’ need to acquire new talent since the end of last season and even came out on public radio with a request that he wished to be traded. Now, although Bryant has already allegedly made accommodations to receive his physical examination before training camp begins Oct. 11 in Honolulu, Hawaii, speculations are still swirling about whether he will return. What isn’t under speculation, however, is how the team is being viewed going into the season’s play, according to an article in the Los Angels Times.

In late May, Lakers’ team members Kwame Brown and Lamar Odom underwent surgery and now it is unclear whether the two will be able to start the season in full health. On top of that, new drafts were slim and Bryant’s old complaints (”I’m still frustrated. I’m waiting for them to make some changes,” and “We definitely have to get to that elite level, and get to that elite level, like, now”) are bound to resurface - that is, if he shows up at training camp. Now that the Portland Trail Blazers have lost prized rookie Greg Oden to knee surgery, Bryant can rest a bit more easily, yet the Lakers still face heavy competition from long-time elite teams Phoenix Suns (who finished six games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs last season and signed Grant Hill this summer), the Spurs (who’ve garnered three titles in the past five seasons) and Dallas (who finished nine games ahead of the Spurs in last season’s play). With competition thick, including Denver, Houston and Utah, the Lakers are left as one of four possible teams left vying for a spot in this season’s playoffs, comes a speculation from the LA Times sports critic.

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