2010 NBA Champions: Celebrating More Than Just the Trophy

Congratulations to the 2010 Los Angeles Lakers!

After an epic Game 7 battle, which in many ways summed up the series as a whole, the Lakers Nations celebrates their hard-fought and well deserved victory.

Nothing is sweeter than being a Lakers fan right now, and it's not just because of that golden-balled-trophy that now belongs to LA.

I was thinking to myself last night, on the eve of Game 7, that, win or lose, the Lakers have more reason to be optimistic than any other team in the league for the next two seasons or so.

For starters, with 2010 title in hand, the Lakers can enjoy their vacation, knowing that their they've finally shaken the gorilla on their back. The lesson that was inflicted on them in 2008 has come full circle. They can play next season with a clean slate.

Further, most of the major question marks hanging over their heads for much of the season may have been legitimately answered, in part.

Is Derek Fisher too old and gets punished by quick point guards too often?

Fish's team came out on top against the likes of Steve Nash and Deron Williams, while against the likes of Westbrook and Rondo, the Lakers were able to effectively switch Kobe onto the opposing PG instead, confirming their blueprint for future success against dominating point guards. Fish, meanwhile, further displayed his penchant for the big moments.

If and when Fish is supplanted as the starting PG, I'd remain confident he'll maintain close to the exact same stats and intangible contributions (charges taken, clutch shots, leadership) in reduced minutes.

Kobe's old?

Let's not waste too much time on this one. Check his stats for the playoffs. Check his finger for that 5th ring. Check his trophy cabinet for the Finals MVP hardware. The man is a beast. And with some rest this summer (hopefully) he should come back significantly fresher and healthier.

Pau is too ...

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