subject: Lakers 2010 Playoff Run - Can The Lakers Claim Victory A Second In A Row? [print this page] After winning the 2009 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers celebrated their 15th title win. But the big question is, can they do it again? So far in NBA history, only the Lakers, the Chicago Bulls, the Houston Rockets, and the Detroit Pistons have won championships back-to-back. The chances of winning multiple titles are slim, much less winning two of them in a row. The team has done it before in the past, but it will take a team of players that excel at their game, a level headed coach, and a management team that is devoted to them in order to move past the rest of the pack. Here is what team captain Kobe Bryant and the rest of the team need to do in order to have a Lakers 2010 playoff run.
In order to reach a Lakers 2010 playoff run in the first place, they need to start with building a foundation. That is what all the other teams listed above had that the other teams were lacking when they won their back-to-back titles. The Lakers foundation was Magic Johnson. The Bulls foundation was Michael Jordan. The Pistons foundation was Isiah Thomas. The Rockets foundation was Hakeem Olajuwon. Luckily for the Lakers in 2010, they have a solid foundation too, and that foundation is Kobe Bryant.
Going back to look at the history of the NBA, the big men in the center have either helped create or destroy a dynasty. All of the teams listed above, with the Bulls being the lone exception, had centers that were very dominant. Andrew Bynum is a current center for the Lakers and although at age 21 he could become a dominant force due to his build, he lacks the maturity, mental focus, and overall health to help lead the way to a Lakers 2010 playoff run.
In order to see a Lakers 2010 playoff run, they must be like all the other great dynasties and become adaptable. That means they must be able to change, as in the NBA, things always change, from injuries to trades to competition. The Celtics have Kevin Garnett, the Magics have Dwight Howard, and the Cavaliers have the star power of Shaq, added to their already sturdy foundation of LeBron James. Last year, Shannon Brown's increased play time off the bench helped the team out when he was called upon. In 2010 the Lakers will need to call upon their bench players to contribute more often.
