Kobe Bryant sees Los Angeles Lakers as the NBA champions this season – NBA Update
No one can envisage the future for Los Angeles Lakers better then Kobe Bryant. Despite the suspension of Metta World Peace this week and the threat, teams like Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs pose this season, the star
guard is confident that Lakers will bring the championship home.
”I expect to win it, absolutely," Bryant told 710 ESPN's "Max & Marcellus Show" on Wednesday. "I think the thing that's our biggest strength is our versatility and our size. Our bench has been playing extremely well. We've been
shooting the ball extremely well, and our biggest key is our perimeter shooting, limiting our turnovers, and keeping the game at our pace. If we can do those things in the postseason, I like our chances."
Kobe’s claim can be substantiated with the team’s performance in the month of April, when due to a shin injury Kobe was forced to miss seven games, but still the Lakers, keyed by Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol secured the 3rd
seed in Western Conference.
Andrew stepped up for his team when they needed a consistent scorer, grabbing the player of week title on April 15th while Pau’s scoring number enhanced significantly.
Moreover the support which the Lakers are getting from the second unit is rare in any other team, expect may be the Spurs. Metta World Peace and Matt Barnes, taking turns off the bench, have been collecting solid numbers in the
latter half of the season and the confidence which was instilled in them by Mike Brown has finally paid off.
The likes of Josh McRoberts, Steve Blake and Andrew Goudelock have been consistent performers and the induction of Ramon Session has a new dimension to the whole setup. This doesn’t necessarily mean that other contenders from the
West, and the one finalist from the Eastern Conference, will be pushovers;
Everybody's a problem," Bryant said. "The Western Conference has been tough from top to bottom. There are no easy matchups”.
The Lakers, who have ended the season as the leaders of the Pacific Division and at the 3rd spot in the Western Conference will take on the Denver Nuggets in the first round of playoffs. On the paper, they look like
a more powerful team, but the Nuggets have sprung many surprises this season and will surely be rearing to extend their amazing journey. For Kobe and the Lakers, Sunday night will be the time to start converting words into actions.
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