NBA 2009 Season Prediction: The Los Angeles Lakers

This is my third installment of the  Pacific Division Chapter of my NBA 2009 Season Prediction Series. With the bitter taste of defeat still fresh in the mouths of Laker fans nationwide from the 2008 NBA Finals it comes time to analyze the Lakers' roster and predict if the Lakers can once again make it to the NBA Finals, and reclaim the crown back from their most hated rivals, the Boston Celtics. Most basketball fans do not realize how big of a rivalry exists between the Lakers and Celtics. Back in the 60's, the Boston Celtics won 11 championships in 13 seasons. The Lakers and Celtics faced  each other in five consecutive NBA Finals, with the Celtics winning the series of finals 4-1. Now do you see why the Lakers especially hated losing this past finals to the Celtics? Alright, enough with the history lesson. Let's get right down to analyzing this current Lakers team. Does this roster have what it takes to win a ring? For the most part, it does. The Lakers are ... (link)