Lakers fans everywhere are celebrating their Summer moves that have brought them Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. But will they be able to unseat the Miami Heat as NBA Champs?
Here are 10 reasons why they won't.
1. The Oklahoma City Thunder
I don't think the Lakers will be able to get past OKC. Look at the match-ups. Howard and Gasol can be kept in check by Perkins and Ibaka. Durant will torch MWP or whoever else has the burden of trying to guard him. Kobe will score, but he'll have to work for it matching up with Sefolosha and Harden. And does anyone want to rely on Steve Nash to guard Russell Westbrook? I'd put good money on a Thunder vs. Heat rematch.
2. Teams are not made overnight.
When Miami signed their big 3, everyone thought they had the best team "on paper." But it takes a while for players to learn to play together. It will be no different for the Lakers.
3. Kobe and Nash are not a good combination.
Steve Nash is at his best when he has the ball in his hand and runs the pick-and-roll. Does anyone think Kobe Bryant is just going to wait around on the wing while Nash runs the show? Mark my words. Kobe will be the primary ballhandler, and Nash will be relegated to the role of a spot-up shooter. While Nash can be effective in that role, that's not what made him a 2 time MVP.
4. Age matters.
With the exception of Howard, all of the Lakers best 6 players (including Antawn Jamison) are North of 32 years of age. If you don't think that matters, look at what happened to the Spurs in each of the last two years in the playoffs.
5. Howard's foul shooting.
When the Lakers had Shaq, his foul shooting issues didn't hurt them because they were so much better than any team in the league. This Lakers team, on the other hand, can't afford to rely on a 50% foul shooter in crunch time.
6. The bench.
The Lakers bench, apart from Jamison, is made up primarily of journeymen. Compare that to a Heat bench that has Udonis Haslem, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and Mike Miller.
7. Three point shooting.
The Lakers three point options are limited. Kobe is inconsistent. So is MWP. The bench does not have any prolific shooters. Nash is their only consistent option.
8. Foul Trouble.
The Heat are very good at getting opposing big men in foul trouble. With Steve Nash offering little resistance to quicker players like Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole (not to mention the big 3 attacking the basket), Howard could find himself sitting through a lot of a Heat/Lakers series.
9. Dwyane Wade.
Wade fought through injuries throughout the playoffs last year, and still put up very solid numbers. At the same time, because he was not 100%, some people seem to have forgotten just how good he is. When healthy - and Wade should be healthy this year after sitting out the Olympics to have a clean-up procedure...
-08-16-2012, 08:09 AM
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