Image via WikipediaThe doubters were loud even before the season started, when general manager Mitch Kupchek made the risky decision to sign Ron Artest instead of re-sign Trevor Ariza, a key cog in the 2009 title team. Once the season actually got going, star big man Pau Gasol was hurt. Kobe Bryant finally showed his age, slogging through multiple finger injuries to post his worst regular-season in a decade. Artest struggled at times to fit in, Andrew Bynum again struggled with injuries and Derek Fisher showed his age. The Lakers ended up finishing just 15-14 down the stretch in the regular season, and many felt they were too old to go through a tough Western Conference.
But despite all those bumps in the road, the Lakers persevered. They held off the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder in a great series, swept by the shorthanded Jazz, held off the Suns and outlasted the Celtics. Along the way, Bryant regained his touch (except in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, of course), Gasol shed all the doubters of his toughness once and for all and Artest provided the lift the team hoped they'd get when they signed him. It certainly wasn't a textbook run to the title, but the adversity made the Lakers stronger. They fed off it and used it as motivation on their way back to the top.
This summer, the Lakers plugged some holes by signing Steve Blake, Matt Barnes and Theo Ratliff. SB Nation's Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll believes they made out like bandits with those signings.
Me? I'm guessing the Lakers lay low a bit in the regular season and let the Heat build up confidence and press with regular-season wins. 56-26 is my guess, with a return trip to the Finals in the cards. I'm guessing Miami will be on the other end of that confrontation. Who wins? Good question. I still haven't decided.
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