A few things people take for granted for next season

[hpantazo]

I hear everyone saying that the lakers are getting back Bynum so they will be so much better next year. Well people tend to forget that Rondo is a second year point guard, he will be better next year. Also, this celtics team was all new and unfamiliar this season, they will have even better chemistry next year. Don't forget, we have some nice young players coming up as well that were not really factors this year, Gabe Pruitt and Big Baby, they were rookies, and although Big Baby got some minutes out of need, their improvement alone can balance out Bynum next year, and hopefully eliminate the need of a Cassell. This team was not supposed to be able to win this year, next year was supposed to be The year, so bring it on!!

[Edgar]

I hear everyone saying that the lakers are getting back Bynum so they will be so much better next year. Well people tend to forget that Rondo is a second year point guard, he will be better next year. Also, this celtics team was all new and unfamiliar this season, they will have even better chemistry next year. Don't forget, we have some nice young players coming up as well that were not really factors this year, Gabe Pruitt and Big Baby, they were rookies, and although Big Baby got some minutes out of need, their improvement alone can balance out Bynum next year, and hopefully eliminate the need of a Cassell. This team was not supposed to be able to win this year, next year was supposed to be The year, so bring it on!!

we will have Hibbert to stop Bynum

I dont know if I am kidding with this last one...

Perk can handle him any day of the week and KG will be Gasol daddy all the way


In other notes dont forget Portland will be a HELL of a team with Oden.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I don't like the assumption that Bynum will come in and suddenly will be a dominant player once again. First, he needs to get healthy. Second, he has to be willing to put in the time to get healthy and back in shape. Third, he will need to have the patience to get his basketball form back.

If I not mistaken, he had questionable work ethic in the past, so let's wait and see how this guy actually recovers from this injury.

[EJPLAYA]

I hear everyone saying that the lakers are getting back Bynum so they will be so much better next year. Well people tend to forget that Rondo is a second year point guard, he will be better next year. Also, this celtics team was all new and unfamiliar this season, they will have even better chemistry next year. Don't forget, we have some nice young players coming up as well that were not really factors this year, Gabe Pruitt and Big Baby, they were rookies, and although Big Baby got some minutes out of need, their improvement alone can balance out Bynum next year, and hopefully eliminate the need of a Cassell. This team was not supposed to be able to win this year, next year was supposed to be The year, so bring it on!!

we will have Hibbert to stop Bynum

I dont know if I am kidding with this last one...

Perk can handle him any day of the week and KG will be Gasol daddy all the way


In other notes dont forget Portland will be a HELL of a team with Oden.

No way that Utah is letting Hibbert get past them. They have absolutely no true big man and he will fill one of their few holes. We have nothing they want in a trade, so he won't be a Celtic.

Perk will just get better. I agree with that one.

Oden won't be effective enough next year with his year away and being a "rookie". They will be better than this year, but more due to improvement of Roy and Aldridge who I think is an upcoming "Garnett" type player. 2 years from now they will be right in there though...

[Edgar]

I hear everyone saying that the lakers are getting back Bynum so they will be so much better next year. Well people tend to forget that Rondo is a second year point guard, he will be better next year. Also, this celtics team was all new and unfamiliar this season, they will have even better chemistry next year. Don't forget, we have some nice young players coming up as well that were not really factors this year, Gabe Pruitt and Big Baby, they were rookies, and although Big Baby got some minutes out of need, their improvement alone can balance out Bynum next year, and hopefully eliminate the need of a Cassell. This team was not supposed to be able to win this year, next year was supposed to be The year, so bring it on!!

we will have Hibbert to stop Bynum

I dont know if I am kidding with this last one...

Perk can handle him any day of the week and KG will be Gasol daddy all the way


In other notes dont forget Portland will be a HELL of a team with Oden.

No way that Utah is letting Hibbert get past them. They have absolutely no true big man and he will fill one of their few holes. We have nothing they want in a trade, so he won't be a Celtic.

Perk will just get better. I agree with that one.

Oden won't be effective enough next year with his year away and being a "rookie". They will be better than this year, but more due to improvement of Roy and Aldridge who I think is an upcoming "Garnett" type player. 2 years from now they will be right in there though...

I know, the first one is a wish
I agree Hibber perfectly fits in the Utah Big center role . see Eaton, Mark
I am not sure about oden hes big and fast and allow aldrige to play PF that is something
Theres always competition in the west anyway
New Orleans ( sadly Peja and Bonzi are just getting older)
Portland

mmm.. wait
thats it
the rest are a bunch of old guys
mmm...
wait
Thats what they used to say about us
We will see
My crystal ball is broke. 

[TitleMaster]

Here's what the lame media keeps forgetting... our center is Perkules! What that essentially means is that we have an enforcer with an uncanny nose for boards and putbacks. And he's only 23. Give Clifford Ray another year and this guy's unstoppable.

And as for Rondo, he's the first true point guard since Tiny Archibald but unlike Nate, he's 22, not 33 upon winning his title. Yes, he's not yet at Tiny's surreal Cincinnati level of play but everything's pointing in that direction.

[NicaraguanFan]

I think Portland and NO will ne the front runners in West next year.  As good as Bynum could be after his injury, Lakers does not have the material to compite against those teams.

[bbc3341]

We know we'll have PP, RA, and KG - then you throw in Rondo and Perk, I mean that's the nucleus right there. Yes, Posey was great, House did a great job, but if Posey wants to chase the $ I wish him luck and am grateful we had him this year. The point is that Ainge will find a way to make up for that loss, plus I'd bet there will be a few veterans who say, hey I'll take a shot at a ring with KG and co.

[Robb]

I don't understand everyone's infatuation with Bynum anyway.  He was good before he got hurt, but it's not like he was an All Star.  He's young and he's pretty talented, but the media talks about him like he just needs to get on the court and they'll punch his ticket to the Hall of Fame.

Someone on ESPN even said the other day that they have the "equivalent of the first pick in the draft with Andrew Bynum."  Seriously?  He's better than Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose?  He's on the same level as rookie LeBron, rookie Greg Oden, and rookie Tim Duncan?  Didn't he also just have knee (!) surgery?  I don't get it.

[Big Ticket]

I think some people overrate the Blazers next year.  They'll be solid, but still very young.  Oden will take some time to get acclimated, I'm not 100% sold on Aldridge being a stud forward yet, and Webster and Outlaw haven't shown anything more than potential.  When they put it together, they were obviously a great team... but I don't think they're ready to pass up New Orleans, LA, Utah, or even San Antonio.

[BballTim]

  Everyone seems to think that Bynum and Odom will just step in and play like they were never injured. It doesn't work like that. Just ask Amare, or maybe Tony Allen. It might be the 2010 season before Bynum's in top form.

[radiohead]

  Everyone seems to think that Bynum and Odom will just step in and play like they were never injured. It doesn't work like that. Just ask Amare, or maybe Tony Allen. It might be the 2010 season before Bynum's in top form.

let them do all the "bynum is the savior" stories that they want. the last thing that the kid needs is the added pressure to bring the lakers to the promised land.   

[Amonkey]

I cant believe nobody has mentioned Leon Powe as one of the core of young players.  The guy is a great hustle guy that can rebound and is a good scorer and his aggressiveness will always allow him to take FT.  I think he can be our 7th guy, grabbing a good chunk of minutes off the bench and playing starting roles in case of injuries.