If Nash is healthy and Kobe isn't too much of a diva, they have a good chance. Nash likely would have won the title with Amare+Marion in 2007, but the Suns got screwed over by that awful "leave the bench" rule (from a fight instigated by Horry & the spurs). Dwight+Gasol is those guys on steroids, and they are a perfect fit for Nash's pick/roll style. Of course, the system is different, Nash is older, and Kobe is probably not going to settle in as a spot-up shooter, so there's a lot of outside factors. Prob. if Kobe got injured and Nash stayed healthy, the Lakers would have their best chance.
Nash and Kobe are too old. Two superstars and an all-star in their prime (Miami) couldn't win a championship until their second year. Mostly because of chemistry issues. If the Lakers have a legitimate chance to win, its not going to be this year.
Every years Lakers advantage has always been their frontcourt size. And Thunder is the only team that matchup well with lakers simply because Perkins, Ibaka and Collision will neutralize the lakers frontcourt be it Howard or Bynum and Gasol. Plus Durant and Westbrook >>>> kobe and Nash. But now Lakers actually have a solid support cast like Artest, Jamison etc. So a Lakers vs Thunder will be a SEVEN game classic in the playoffs.
nah dwight complained about not getting the ball enough in Orlando so what happens now? OKC can still beat them with perkins and ibaka healthy. Run N GUn will beat this old lakers team
They'll focus too heavy on PnR. Whoever has homecourt in the 7 game OKC-LA game will win the series, and get the ring.
Old matters if you're the only one carrying the team. Nash and Kobe can definitely relax on D, knowing that Gasol and Howard are right there to stop penetration. Nash doesn't need to produce numbers like he did in Phoenix, for LA to win. Kobe doesn't need to produce prime Kobe numbers, for LA to win. Same for Gasol. Same for Gasol. On paper, LA has the scariest starting 5 in the league.
If there is any justice, they won't win a title or a conference championship for that matter. There is clearly some behind the scenes manipulation going on in the league and I don't think that should be rewarded. I like Nash, and I don't think Dwight is a terrible person but I don't think either of them deserve a ring this way. I'm sooo tired of LA catching every free agent break, every trade break, every questionable call, every single year. I hate unearned privilege.
Well the Heat had problems because both Wade and Lebron are ball-dominant players who aren't very effective without it and Bosh was relegated to a role-player. Kobe and Pau have played together for years, and Dwight Howard only really needs to rock up and do his thing to make the Lakers exponentially better than they were last season. And as long as Nash still has his lethal jumper than he's a huge addition by that alone. The biggest factors for their success, though, are how well Nash will adjust to a more down tempo offense and whether Mike Brown is in too far over his head trying to implement yet another offensive scheme whilst trying to fit in two new star pieces.
I think it is still Miami's to lose. I think Miami will win it all again. Lebron has changed. He is a winner now. He does it BIG when his teams needs it and will do it again when his team needs it. He has channeled his inner Jordan last year and I don't see ANYONE on the planet stopping that.
Right, but there's always a chance Kobe gets injured and the Lakers go on a big run, just like they have every time he's sat out any extended period of time. Imagine those guys salivating when they actually get to shoot the ball instead of have it be dominated by a 40% volume-shooting shotjacker. Imagine what Nash could do running an offense with Gasol and Howard as his bigs. He'd turn guys like Ebanks and Meeks into real players (just like he did with Bell, Diaw, Barbosa, etc). Sadly, Kobe's one real skill is durability so Nash will be relegated to being a role player, a glorified Ramon Sessions (who looked great in the first few games when Kobe didn't freeze him out).
Lakers beat OKC and the Heat the next two seasons. Nash will make Meta, Gasol, and Howard much better offensively.
