Los Angeles Lakers' Chance at a Repeat: Examining the Other Contenders

In order to judge a possible dynasty I feel like you have to look at the other contenders. The Cavs upgraded with Shaq. We would have beaten the Cavs pretty easily in 2009 if they made it to the finals—this addition simply puts them in the discussion. But, now the Lakers got better as well (in terms of talent + guarding LBJ). The Cavs are somewhat of a threat, but if we re-sign LO and everyone is healthy, we will beat them in a seven game series. The Spurs look to be healthier and added young Richard Jefferson. We beat the Spurs in 2008 but Ginobili was a bit injured. It was a close series, but we didn't have Bynum or Ariza. Now that we have Bynum and an upgrade with Artest, if the entire Spurs team can stay healthy, this is a pretty even matchup in my opinion with the Spurs' additions. The Nuggets haven’t made any big changes yet, and if they don’t, they won’t be a real contender. The Celtics won the title in '08, but they were pretty uncon...