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2008 Los Angeles Lakers Predictions

Written by Jack Jones on October 27, 2008

Close but no cigar for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in last year’s NBA Finals, but hopes are still high heading into the 2008-09 season. A big reason for that is that LA still has the best player in the NBA with Bryant, so head coach Phil Jackson fully expects his team to be in contention again this year. The Lakers are listed at -350 to win the Pacific division.

The front line returns for this team with Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Pau Gasol joining back up with Andrew Bynum, who missed the second half of the season with a knee injury. Adding Bynum could be the added piece the Lakers needed to take the Boston Celtics in last year’s Finals. He is 7′0″ and 285 pounds despite just being 20 years old. He was putting up 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds before going down last January. The Lakers are the favorites at +140 to win the West.

Bynum is tough in the paint but the scariest thing is how much he still has left to learn. If he works hard down low then this team will do some damage this year. Getting Gasol was key to last year’s run as he provided a nice compliment to Bryant. The knock on Gasol was that he didn’t do enough rebounding or on the defensive end. These two need to learn to work together and it will be tough seeing anyone being able to beat the Lakers. Lamar Odom is the small forward and he’s a third or fourth offensive option, which is pretty scary when you think about how good he really is. Odom is a great passer, but sometimes has a problem with hustle.

The backcourt is in good hands with Bryant, who is coming off his 10th All-Star appearance and first MVP award. He put up 28.3 points while dishing out 5.4 assists last year. The question surrounding Kobe is that if he has enough left after the run through the Finals then spending his summer playing for the Olympic team. Derek Fisher provides the team with a steadying force at the point spot. He can hit shots from the outside, but isn’t as quick as he used to be so getting to the hole can be a problem. The LA Lakers are one of the favorites to win the NBA Finals at +325.

The Laker bench is deep, starting with Radmanovic, but also with capable bodies in Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmer, and Luke Walton. Radmanovic needs to step up his defensive intensity and stop forcing outside shots. Ariza provides a nice break for Kobe since he can take on the oppositions top outside offensive player. The Lakers have the highest expected win total in the league with their over/under at 54.5.

Farmar is more than capable of backing up Fisher, but needs to hit more outside shots. Walton plays smart basketball and can really pass the rock. Another favorite of mine is Sasha Vujacic, who tends to shoot a little too much at times but hustles and gives the team some attitude on the floor.

Final Analysis

It’s tough for a team to make back-to-back appearances in the Finals due to the short offseason that it gives you, but it’s hard not to like the Lakers with our NBA predictions. I see this team making another run through the regular season and deep into the playoffs. This is our pick to win it all.

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