5 Reasons the Heat are Cooked

Written by: Dustin Malcolm

June 17, 2010 - Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES - epa02208503 Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (R) holds up the MVP trophy and the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy as teammate Derek Fisher (L) looks on after defeating the Boston Celtics in game seven of the NBA Finals at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, USA, 17 June 2010. The Lakers defeated the Celtics 83-79 to win their 16th championships.


Call me an arrogant fan, but the Lakers are going to repeat as Western Conference Champions when all is said and done after the 2010-2011 season. While many believe a young team like the Oklahoma City Thunder or a team with possibly resurgent players like the Houston Rockets could challenge the Lakers for their fourth straight Western Crown, they forgot one thing: the title runs through Los Angeles.

While Oklahoma City has great young talent in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the standout names end there. The team has an abundance of heart and hard work, as shown in the first round of last year’s playoffs, but the inexperience is likely to yield a similar exit so long as the Lakers are proactive.

With the also talented Rockets, their competitiveness seems to pivot on Yao Ming’s all too fragile feet. Other typical challengers like the Suns and the Mavericks seemed to fall by the wayside in terms of free agent signings, and teams like the Spurs just seemed to get a year older.

With the steals that the Lakers made this off-season, it seems all but inevitable that the Lakers will be back in defense of their title in the NBA Finals next year. The question remaining is, who will they see?

Next: Beasts of the East

You May Also Like

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Finding Rhythm As Lakers Prepare For Stars To Return

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went through a massive slump during the 2020-21 season…

Lakers Recall Moritz Wagner From G League Affiliate South Bay Ahead Of Game With Raptors

The Los Angeles Lakers recalled Moritz Wagner ahead of Sunday’s game against the Toronto Raptors, which is the second of a back-to-back. This marks the second…

Frank Vogel: Lakers Improved Defensively But Still ‘Have To Be Better’

The matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks was one between the NBA’s best defense…

The Glove, Dirk, and Mikan; Top 50 Players in NBA History Part II

40. Jason Kidd Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at…