Miami Heat: The Biggest threat to the
Los Angeles Lakers legacy
The Los Angeles Lakers is a special franchise. Over the years, they have continued to be successful in different eras and with different teams. Many great players have come and gone, but the Lakers have remained, and they have
remained strong. The Lakers Dynasty is the strongest of the current millennium.
Of the 10 Championships so far in this decade, the Lakers have won five. The first three came on the back of the Shaq and Kobe’s combination and then towards the end of the decade, the Lakers again went to the top, this time with
Kobe leading a raft of talented players. They have reached three of the last NBA Finals and won two.
Although beaten by a veteran Dallas team earlier than expected this time around, the Los Angeles Lakers have a roster more talented and more balanced than perhaps all other teams in the league. And even though the appointment of
Coach Mike Brown, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has drawn criticism from all quarters, the man has a considerable experience and did take a team to the NBA Finals in 2007.
As such, the Lakers Dynasty seems set to be strong over the coming years. Part of the reason is the lack of teams out there, who can truly challenge them. No disrespect to the league, but what are the odds on the aging Boston Celtics
to get their battered bodies through another successful title charge or the chances of San Antonio Spurs making a surge to the top with Tim Duncan clearly past his formidable prime?
The Lakers’ conquerors this season, the Dallas Mavericks are also a team full of veterans, perhaps making their last hurrah for the title this season. Oklahoma City Thunder have talent in abundance but experience in very scant
amount.
Therefore, it is safe to say that there are not many teams who can consistently challenge the Lakers in the next few years. None perhaps, apart from one - the Miami Heat.
The Heat and their Big Three, at the moment, represent the biggest threat to the Lakers plans of dominating the NBA Championship scene. The Heat have most things going for them. They are probably the only team that can put the
Lakers in the shade in terms of talent. Although the support cast at the Heat is not up to scratch, there is no reason to believe that Miami will not strengthen themselves through the free agency in the summer.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have shown this post season that they don’t need much help anyway. How strong the trio will be once they have played a season together? If they can get a championship this season, there
could possibly be no stopping the Heat. The Big Three are at a perfect mix in terms of experience and age, meaning they can be dominant for many years to come.
The Miami Heat have the league’s best player in LeBron and the ‘chosen one’ is hungry for success. Then they have Dwyane Wade, who is second only to Kobe Bryant at the shooting guard position. Chris Bosh is fast emerging as one
of the most influential power forwards in the league and in the company of Wade and James; he is only going to get better. The larger than life trio is deadly at both ends of the court, stifling on defence and explosive on offence.
The Lakers, at present are concentrating to recover from their playoffs slump and putting their house in order. They will do that quickly, there is no doubting that, but will they be able to stop the juggernaut from the East –
the Miami Heat. They will give it a go, no doubt, but until they add some firepower in their ranks, it seems highly improbabale.
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