Cleveland? Detroit? Why only Boston listed from the east?

If so, only 19% of the GM knows a bit about basketball :-)
Before last year finals the Lakers were the favourites too.

Cool. Another bulletin board material. Keep it coming guys. Love to see your faces after the C’s pummel the Lakers once again, NBA Finals or not.

The real question is; what are the chances the Lakers make the finals as compared to the Cs?

As for LBJ for MVP. That decision has already been made. Unless NO wins the West, CP3 has no chance over LBJs popularity/marketing power.

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.

The Lakers won’t even come out of the WC finals.

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.

I agree with Brick, Portland looks to be a huge matchup problem for LA. I don’t think Bynum is remotely stong enough to hang with Greg.

I’m really looking forward to them facing off on Tuesday after we play Cleveland. What a great night of basketball to kick off the season with.

The difference maker for the Lakers this year is less Bynum than Aziza. I still don’t think they get by a healthy Spurs though. And I agree with Brickowski that people are seriously underrating how good the Blazers will be this year.

Er, of course I meant Ariza.

Blazers are young and not as experienced as other teams.
That does not usually spell more then getting to the playoffs at best.

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.

In some ways the Lakers would be a better team without Kobe. For starters, other guys might actually get to touch the ball.

Kobe Bryant truly is an horse’s behind.

I’d love to see the Lakers have to face the Clips or Blazers in the first round. I think either one of the could potentially take them out.

^^^ The Clippers HAHAHAHA ;D

most picked the lakers over the c’s in last year’s playoffs. kobe is great but as great as he is, he’s overrated. lebron is better.

some just wouldn’t learn…

go for 18!

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!

I say the Lakers are the team to beat. But then, I thought they’d win the series, so who should listen to me?
I think the Lakers improved and the Celtics didn’t in the offseason. So that seals it for me.
Hope I’m wrong. Usually am! LOL.