The Los Angeles Lakers have instantly become favorites to win the championship. They are officially the best team in the NBA, better than the Miami Heat. Yes, I said it.
On Thursday night, four teams agreed to a deal that will send Dwight Howard to the Lakers. As of now, this is what the deal looks like:
Lakers: Dwight Howard
Philly: Jason Richardson and Andrew Bynum
Denver: Andre Iguodala
Orlando Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, and one protected future first-round pick from each of the other three teams.
Other names may emerge by the time the deal is finalized, but the Lakers have pulled off the unthinkable. First, it was Steve Nash. And now, they have the best center in the league. The Lakers might be the first team in NBA history to have four All-Stars in their starting line-up! Are you kidding me? Here is the projected starting line-up.
PG: Steve Nash, SG: Kobe Bryant, SF: Metta World-Peace, PF: Pau Gasol, C: Dwight Howard
This is absolutely ridiculous. This is unreal. This is crazy! The Lakers have three future-HALL OF FAMERS in their starting lineup! I know I picked the Thunder as the #1 seed in the West but the Lakers are my new top seed in the Western Conference.
Not to mention, the Lakers still have depth with Antawn Jamison, Steve Blake, and Jordan Hill. After watching Kobe yesterday against Australia, I think it is safe to say that he is still an elite player in the NBA. With the addition of Nash and Howard, the Lakers will be a dominant force.
This is the perfect mix for a championship. The Canadian has the ability to get Dwight and Kobe their touches while managing to keep Gasol happy. Pau will definitely have to agree to take on a smaller role but I think that will lead to a higher efficiency rate.
LA now has two elite veterans in the backcourt and the 26 year old down low in the paint. The Lakers have improved in every single category over this off-season. Dwight Howard will help lead the Lakers to another championship.
