What the Lakers Face in the East

Oddsmakers have (not surprisingly) picked the Los Angeles Lakers as favorites to win an NBA Championship next June, repeating their performances earlier this year, and the Los Angeles Times offered predictions about what the team will face in the East. Last month, the Orlando Sentinel polled 11 NBA experts and the Cleveland Cavaliers (who traded Shaquille O’Neal and subsequently aided LeBron James in garnering his first championship win) emerged as a favorite, although only by a small margin. The Boston Celtics (who signed free agent forward Rasheed Wallace) came in second.

NBA.com writer John Schuhmann picked the Cavaliers as the best team in the East in the Sentinel poll saying, “They added Shaquille O’Neal and Anthony Parker, both of whom should help them match up better with Boston and Orlando, and they still have the best player in the world.” Bill Walton, on the other hand, is betting on Boston saying, “The three legitimate contenders in the East all got significantly better, but Boston easily improved the most. The title will come down to who controls the paint. The Celtics-with superior talent, depth and versatility up front-have positioned themselves perfectly for a run at No. 18.” The Lakers would undoubtedly love another chance with beat the Celtics in the playoffs, but June is still a long way off.

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Posted in General on September 8, 2009

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