I still don't think it would've been that easy. The road in the East would've been much easier but you still have that certain team who is poised to win three in a row, looming in the West. There's been this sort of fiction created since LA won the title that that was a great team. I don't think so. The Shaq-Kobe Lakers would've obliterated that team and I think Ariza -> Artest was a decided downgrade. I really think it was one of the weaker champions of the decade. That's nice. Kobe still has a few great years left and the rest of their starting five is still really good (replacing Fisher with Odom). You'd be foolish to say that they're not the favorites, unless we're landing two of the big three FA's. Favorites, sure. Not overwhelming favorites though. They have little bench, Artest isn't very good, Bynum is always a question mark. They're a match up nightmare for a lot of teams because of their size. Kobe's great but defenses are not awake at night afraid of him like they are of Lebron. They're afraid of being owned in the paint. I hate Kobe probably more than anybody else on here, but that last statement is ridiculous. Everybody saw what he did against the Suns. And he was having a really good series against Boston before Game 7. It doesn't matter how you defend the guy at the end of games; he's still going to drill shots. Their bench blows but Steve Blake's a good pickup. We'll disagree about Artest and Ariza because I always thought Ariza had inflated numbers due to playing with Kobe. Artest is what he is - a very mediocre offensive player and a superior defender. I don't see anybody beating the Lakers next year unless two of LeBron/Wade/Bosh join the Bulls.