I Love LA
By Marcelo Figueroa
You hear the song blasting after another dominating performance over the Denver Nuggets. It’s Randy Newman’s anthem “I Love LA” blasting from the rafters of Staples Center. The Lakers are 14 wins away from being crowned 2007-2008 NBA Champs. There hasn’t been this much excitement in Los Angeles since the Lakers 3-peat from 2000-2003. And there are lots of similarities between this Laker team and the one that won three straight.
In 2000, Kobe Bryant was just coming into his own and proving himself as a superstar of the league. He, along with Shaquille O’ Neal, and a supporting cast that included guys like Derek Fisher (who just so happens to be back in LA running Phil Jackson’s Triangle offense), took the city on a rollercoaster ride unlike anything in the past 30 years. This year’s team might not have “The Big Cactus” anymore, who is struggling to avoid being swept in the first round by the Spurs, but it does have “El Spaniard Grande” (the Big Spaniard). You might be telling yourself “I never heard Pau Gasol referred to as ‘El Spaniard Grande’” and you would be right because I just made it up. That is my self-proclaimed nickname for the long time Grizzly. But now that Kobe has another legitimate big man, LA will hang another banner come season’s end.
Although Pau does not bring the physical, defensive presence that the likes of a Shaquille O’ Neal does, he is just what the Lakers needed. A big man who can handle the ball, shoot the 12 footer, and did I mention he shoots 80% from the line??? The soft touch of Pau and his ability to be the team’s second scorer has taken the pressure off of Lamar Odom, who has thrived since Pau’s February arrival.
Finally, I like to look at history to try and get a better understanding of what will happen in the future. This year the Lakers got on a hot streak, winning 13 of 14, including 10 in a row. Of these 10 straight wins, eight came on the road. The last time the Lakers won eight in a row on the road was… you guessed it, back in 2000 at the beginning of their 3-peat. This bodes well for this year’s title run. I don’t know about you, but I feel another 3-peat for the purple and gold. Despite Andrew Bynum being out for what appears to be the rest of the season, the Lakers have all the pieces necessary to go on to win this year’s title.
Series Predictions:
Lakers defeat Nuggets, 4-0
Lakers defeat Jazz, 4-2
Lakers defeat Spurs, 4-2
Lakers defeat Celtics, 4-3
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