First there was the Shaq to Phoenix gimmick. Then there was the Vince Carter over Hedo Turkoglu decision in Orlando. Then there was the Shaq to Cleveland fiasco. Then there was the Richard Jefferson upgrade in San Antonio. Then there was the Rasheed Wallace pickup in Boston.
Now the superfriends (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Amar’e Stoudemire and maybe even Chris Paul) are giving serious thought to joining forces.
Why?
James, Wade, Stoudemire and Paul aren’t getting any younger, but each of them (barring injury) has as at least many playing days ahead of them as they do behind them.
So where does the sudden desperation stem from?
Can it be that the other teams across the NBA are still trying to catch up to the Lakers’ acquisition of Pau Gasol?
After three straight years entering the playoffs as the West’s number one seed, three straight NBA Finals appearances, two straight championships and an empirical 46-21 post-season record in that span, how could they not?
The Lakers have either dominated or matched 27 of the other 29 teams in the NBA since acquiring Gasol
The Boston Celtics are the only team of significance (sorry Bobcats) to sport a winning record against the Lakers in either the regular season or the playoffs since Gasol was welcomed aboard and they seem to be on the brink of destruction.
But do the Lakers’ successes really justify the Cold War phase the NBA has found itself slipping into or could this all just be an illusion? Could the Lakers have really put the rest of the league on red alert or does it just seem that way?
After all, Rasheed Wallace was a necessary insurance policy after Kevin Garnett’s season ending injury, the Spurs were quickly losing ground in the West after suffering their first first-round elimination in the Tim Duncan era last year and the Cavaliers’ ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
