GMs: Lakers Will Beat Celtics
The LA Times reports (hat tip BDL ):

This time, the Lakers will defeat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. At least, that's what NBA general managers would envision based on an annual NBA.com survey to be released today. Almost half the general managers -- 46% -- predicted the Lakers would win the championship, while 19% picked the Celtics and 12% picked New Orleans. San Antonio received 8% of the vote and was not the preseason favorite for the first time in five years. The survey was not without its surprises. If the general managers are correct, Cleveland forward LeBron James will dethrone Bryant as the league MVP. James received 56% of the vote, Bryant received 37%, and New Orleans guard Chris Paul was a distant third with 7%.
I know you all will have fun with the Lakers pick, but what surprises me is how few GMs picked Chris Paul to be MVP. He's my early favorite.
Update: Here's the full survey - lots of Celtics related items
30 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I’m a broken record here but let’s look at this assumption dispassionately. The C’s lost two key players from the playoffs last year- Posey and PJ Brown. The Lakers have their starting center back and with that a defensive presence in the middle which they painfully lacked in the Finals. -2 for the Cs, 1 for the Lakers. For those who are counting, that’s ultimately a 3 for the Lakers. It’s a long season but on paper, right now, I’d give the nod to the Lakers. Can’t wait for Christmas Day. That will be a war.
by The Real Large James on Oct 22, 2008 10:57 AM EDT reply actions
The GMs which responded against the Celtics were merely wishful thinking, after all, if you were a GM how would you feel about Danny Ainge? I am sure many GMs had to answer to their owners why the Celtics could do with less (picks and caproom) what they could not accomplish.
The way the C’s handled the Lakers last year in 6 of 8 meetings and with Tony Allen’s, House’s and Powe’s preseason play along with the continued development of Rondo and Perk, I’d have to say any GM that bet against the Celtics isn’t very good at his job.
There are three WC teams better than the Lakers: New Orleans, Portland and Houston. If Ginobili gets healthy, I’ll add San Antonio to that list.
Portand is the league’s next major dynasty. And it could happen sooner than you think. NBA GM’s are always thinking behind the curve. That’s one reason why most of them never win.
Thinking about this a little more, I’d say the real edge to the Cs might be at the PG spot. Rondo blossomed in the Finals and Derek Fisher looked lost.
by The Real Large James on Oct 22, 2008 1:07 PM EDT reply actions
IMHO everyone is seriously overrating Bynum, including Bynum himself. I hear he wants 17 million a year. He’s not even worth Al Jefferson money.
As for the Blazers, they are young, but Sergio Rodriguez and Rudy Fernandez have been pros since age 17, and Brandon Roy plays like a veteran. And let’s wait until Mr. Bynum comes up against Mr. Oden and we’ll see who comes out on top.
fine with me if all the pressure is on the Lakers. Since they couldn’t beat us last year I guess the only way they can feel good is to publish a stupid poll like this. I’m going out on a limb and predicting that paul pierce will be the league mvp this year. I think the playoffs opened up a lot of eyes in the league about pierce. Honestly, at the end of last season was there a better player in the league than paul pierce? I don’t think so.
Kobe Bryant truly is an horse’s behind.
by The Real Large James on Oct 22, 2008 5:04 PM EDT reply actions
Yawn, sorry I just woke up from a dream that I was back in the 60’s. You know the one where the Celtics DOMINATED the basketball world and every year the media would pick the Lakers to win it all.
So, the Celtics who lost two players while the Lakers get back a healthy center is enough to move ahead of the Celtics who throttled them last year? Hmmmmmmmmmm, I didn’t know their center had such a lusty reputation, kind of like our rookie forward. Since we are projecting how good players will be lets give Rhondo a starters positioin in the All Star game, since he’ll improve the same amount from his rookie year.
So you decide, who will be a bigger factor, the Lakers healthy center or the improved point guard for the Celtics.
REPEAT!
























