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

Lakers News: Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray Praise LeBron James For Reaching 40,000 Career Points

The Los Angeles Lakers had a big task in front of them on Saturday night as they hosted Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray…

Kyle Kuzma, Lakers Engaged In Contract Extension Talks

The Los Angeles Lakers have to feel good about where they stand heading into the 2020-21 season. They…

Lakers News: Rui Hachimura Chose No. 28 To Honor Gianna & Kobe Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers were a few steps away from an NBA Finals berth in 2022-23 but fell short in the Western Conference Finals…

Lakers News: Ronda Rousey On If Kobe Bryant Should Retire After 20th Season

A hot topic of discussion involving the Los Angeles Lakers over the…