Lakers Favorites to Win NBA Championship Even With Bynum Injury
Written February 9, 2009 by Jason Lowry
The Los Angeles Lakers lost a key piece to their championship puzzle with Andrew Bynum going down once again to a knee injury, and you have to feel for this kid, as this time it was his own teammate (Kobe Bryant) that landed on his leg that will cause him to miss at least the next 8 weeks. As many of you recall Bynum went down with a knee injury in mid-January that was suppose to sideline him for 8-12 weeks, but instead he wound up missing the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. There is hope that Bynum will be back, and there is no question that the Lakers could use this guy to not only get through the West, but take down the like of the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Magic in the FInals.
As it stands right now the Lakers are +225 to win the NBA Championship with the Celtics close behind at +250 and the Cavaliers right behind at +350. Check out every teams odds to win the NBA Championship at BetUS.com.
Bynum was really starting to come along after a slow start to the season, as he put up 42 points and 15 rebounds just 5 games before he went down. For the season Bynum was averaging 14 points 8 rebounds and nearly 2 blocks a game, but in his last 12 games before hurting his knee he was averaging 20.6 points nearly 9 rebounds and just over 2 blocks a game. There is no question that this guy is a huge part in the Lakers chances of winning a NBA Championship, but this team is also good enough to win without the big guy, and here are the reasons why the Lakers can still win it all with Bynum on the bench.
1. Kobe Bryant and Paul Gasol
Bryant is really making his case for another MVP award with the way he is playing this season, and his overall leadership and competitiveness will not let this Lakers team falter. With Bynum out Gasol is the only real threat this team has inside, and without him this team would not have the best record in the NBA or be the favorites to win the NBA Finals. Between these two guys are averaging 45 points 15 rebounds and nearly 7.5 assists a game, and with the way Kobe can kill you in the 4th quarter it makes the Lakers that much better. With or without Bynum the Lakers are our pick to make it back to the finals, its just can they handle the bigs of the East without him.
2. West Has Lost its Edge
Overall the Western Conference has better teams from top to bottom, but it seems the NBA’s most dominant teams have shifted to the East with the Celtics the defending champions, and the emergence of the Cavaliers and Magic. Now the West still has the Spurs, Hornets, and Nuggets that can do damage, but when it comes to beating the Lakers, the only team we see giving them any trouble is the Spurts. We aren’t saying the East is by far the better conference, but its no longer a pushover like it has been in years past.
3. Phil Jackson
This guy is the best coach out there right now, and yea he has had great players, but he has found a way to make them into Champions. We are in no way trying to degrade Michael Jordan, but is he still the best player to ever play the game if he doesn’t win 6 NBA Championships? All we are saying is Jackson is a proven winner, and this guy not only knows how to get his team to the Finals, but he knows how to cash in. As long as Kobe, Gasol, and Jackson remain in tact, the Lakers are a legit threat each and every season.
The Lakers are currently 4-0 without Bynum, and arguably just finished one of their toughest road schedules of the season with huge wins over the Celtics and Cavaliers. Time will tell if this team can continue to win, but for those of you looking to do some NBA Betting on the remainder of the season, now is the best time to check out our expert NBA picks, and make sure you have the bests NBA odds for each and every game at Betfirms.
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