2008 NBA Championship Contenders
Kobe Bryant Hopes to Capture Another Ring
A look at the top contenders for the 2008 NBA championship.
It seems the NBA is in great shape again, and with so much player movement the 2008 NBA Playoffs promise to be exciting and captivating. As the season winds down, it may be helpful to get up to scoop on which teams are in the best positions to make a push for the championship.
Los Angeles Lakers- Many have pegged them as the team to win it all after acquiring forward Pau Gasol. The Lakers have been red hot, winning nine of its last 10 games and passing the Phoenix Suns by 2.5 games for first place in the division. The Lakers have great length on the front line with 7-foot Gasol, 6-10 Lamar Odom and, upon his return, 7-foot Andrew Bynum. They're also well-equipped with plenty of sharp-shooters to spread the defense and a solid bench that includes, Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, and the injured Trevor Ariza and Chris Mihm. However, there are some question marks with this team. Will Andrew Bynum, who is having a breakout season, be able to play in the playoffs the way he did earlier in the season despite missing so many games to injury? Will Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom be good enough on defense to stop the great forwards of the West, like Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki and Carlos Boozer? Will they be healthy enough to make a deep playoff run, with Bynum, Mihm and Ariza all hurt, not to mention Kobe Bryant putting off finger surgery? All in all, as long as Kobe Bryant is on the Lakers, they'll always have a chance.
San Antonio Spurs - It's hard not to consider the Spurs the favorite. They execute better than any team in the league and pick teams apart by their consistency and mental toughness. They play great team defense and the addition of Kurt Thomas helps solidify their interior, while allowing Tim Duncan to exert more energy offensively as he won't have to guard the opposition's best post player all the time. Guard Manu Ginobili is playing out of his mind recently, and is one of the most underrated, dangerous players in the league. Tony Parker is getting healthy, and the recent addition of Damon Stoudamire, as well as getting Brent Barry back should solidify their perimeter.
Dallas Mavericks - There was much controversy over the Jason Kidd acquisition. Some think the Mavericks gave up too much for Kidd. Yet, most of the players they parted with never got off the bench anyway, and the draft picks they gave up will likely be late first-round picks. That's hardly enough to help a veteran team that's starving for a championship right now. The biggest losses for the Mavericks are the departure of Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop. The West got a lot bigger with Gasol joining the Lakers and Shaquille O'Neal joining the Phoenix Suns, and Diop was the Mavs' best post defender. In addition, Devin Harris is thought to have a bright future in the NBA, and losing him may hurt the team down the line. Still, Jason Kidd, though in his mid-thirties, is still one of the league's top point guards and brings a couple elements the Mavs have lacked in recent years - mental toughness and veteran leadership at the point guard position. Kidd's a winner, plain and simple. Harris and Jason Terry are shoot-first point guards. Adding one of the best passers in the league in Kidd, the Mavs suddenly become a team that doesn't have to work as hard for shots, which should enable to divert more energy to defense, which is what Coach Avery Johnson must have in mind. Moreover, though Kidd isn't the defender he was a couple years ago, he's still pretty darn good and better than most other point guards.
Phoenix Suns - The Suns may have made a big mistake trading Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaquille O'Neal. Granted, Phoenix had been having problems defending against bigger players, but O'Neal isn't the player he was two years ago. His regression has been virtually overnight, and the Suns seem to be slow-adapting to his slowed down pace. In addition, many question whether Suns Coach Mike D'Antoni is capable of adjusting the team's offense to incorporate O'Neal. He's notorious for his run and gun style and hasn't been able to bring the Suns much success when Steve Nash isn't in the lineup, despite a talented roster. The Suns are 4-13 since the 2004-2005 season when Nash isn't in the lineup. On top of these issues, Shaq isn't even in playing shape, as he's missed so many games to injury. With all these questions, it's hard to pick the Suns to make much of a title push, especially with how deep the Western Conference is this year.
New Orleans Hornets - New Orleans doesn't have much playoff experience, but they have a tough, defensive-minded coach who's got that team playing like they belong with the elite teams of the West. Chris Paul is mature beyond his years and Peja Stojakovic is playing like the Peja of old. David West is a first-time All Star and the additions of Bonzi Wells and Mike James gives the squad more perimeter scoring off the bench. Yet, the glue to this team may be center Tyson Chandler, whose tenacity and length has anchored the team's outstanding defense. The Hornets are currently a game and a half behind the Lakers and Spurs for the best record in the West. Yet, they won't get the respect they probably deserve unless they can prove their worth in the playoffs.
Utah Jazz - Like the Hornets, the Jazz have a lot to prove. They made it as far as the Western Conference Finals last season, but the Spurs showed the Jazz they probably didn't belong there. With a young nucleas in Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, Utah has a lot to look forward to. However, some wonder if they've made enough additions to make a bigger push this season. Andrei Kirilenko has had a better season at both ends and adding Kyle Korver has given them an outside presence they've needed.
Boston Celtics - The "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have certainly changed things around from just a year ago in Boston. They've already won 22 more games than last season and there's still 24 games left. Plus, they have the best record in the NBA. Despite being in the weaker Eastern Conference, that says a lot, especially since they're 18-3 against Western Conference teams. The biggest question mark about the Celtics is their depth. They've added veteran big man PJ Brown, which should help their interior defense. They are also expected to add veteran point guard Sam Cassell. Though Cassell probably isn't the answer against other top point guards, like Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons, his veteran leadership and reputation as a clutch player would make him an ideal player to close games, while Rondo played the bulks of the minutes before the fourth quarter. Still, some question the depth of the Celtics. If any of the big three go down during a playoff run, winning a title might prove extremely difficult, because there is such a large drop after those players.
Detroit Pistons - The Pistons have the playoff experience, grit, toughness and team play to make another great run to the title. Adding Theo Ratliff and Dale Davis gives them even more depth and Ratliff gives them the type of shot blocker they didn't already have. The biggest question mark is coach Flip Saunders, who doesn't have a great reputation for being a playoff coach, as his focus is more on offense than defense.
