For the third consecutive year, the Los Angeles Lakers enter the dense pressure of the NBA playoffs with an actual shot at the coveted Larry O'Brien Trophy.
After a grueling and unusually inconsistent 82 game season during which they garnered a 57-25 record, the defending champions are locked in atop the Western Conference once again.
For most teams, the acquisition of the number one seed in their conference is a privilege that doesn't come along very often, but for the Lakers, it's just another one of their undying winning habits.
Entering the post season, the Lakers seem to have attracted numerous skeptics who challenge the very idea of them establishing a possible back-to-back modern day dynasty due to their closing out the regular season with unimpressive and lagging performances.
Sportswriters, fans, analysts and even the athletes themselves have a wide variation of opinions on whether or not the Lakers are indeed primed for another NBA title.
When compared, the Lakers and Thunder clearly have their own sets of advantages over each other. The Thunder who have been in the league for only two years went from zeroes to heroes in what seems like an instant.
Described as a bunch of inexperienced college kids when they fell to the NBA's worst record in 2009, they showed signs of quick maturity as stars like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and rookie James Harden became some of the league's premier talents. Speed and determination are two of the team's biggest assets.
Compared to No. 8 seeds of the past, this year's Thunder squad just might be the feistiest one since the 2007 Golden State Warriors who annihilated the number one Dallas Mavericks.
There is no need to convey any argument about the promise and potential this youthful Thunder unit possesses because with a 21 year old MVP candidate at the helm, it is more than apparent ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
