Heading into 2012-13 NBA season, there is already discussion as to what teams will face off in the Finals come June. The Los Angeles Lakers certainly revamped their roster this off-season, but there will be a lot of obstacles in their championship pursuit. Even though the Lakers are the favorites to come out of the Western Conference, there is the still the Miami Heat to possibly face in the Finals.
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In the annual NBA general manager survey, those in the front office believe last season’s NBA champions, the Heat, are the favorites to repeat. According to the poll, 70 percent of general managers believe the Heat will win the 2013 NBA title, whereas 23.3 percent had the Lakers winning.
1. Miami — 70.0%
2. L.A. Lakers — 23.3%
3. Oklahoma City — 6.7%
The Lakers will also have to deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, an explosive team that can surely beat them in a 7-game series. The Thunder represented the Western Conference in the Finals last season and they can definitely do the very same this season.
However, if the Lakers do get past the Thunder, there is a strong chance they meet the Miami Heat in the Finals. The Heat received 74.1 percent of the votes last year by the general mangers, and it would be hard not to bet on them making the Finals again. A Lakers/Heat championship series would be every NBA fan’s dream and will certainly be a very competitive matchup.
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In case you missed it: Dwight Howard talks about his Lakers debut.
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