Are the 2008 Los Angeles Lakers the team to beat in the NBA? The answer to that question is NO. That answer might come off as a surprise to many people considering I’m a die hard Laker fan. Don’t get me wrong I want them to win the championship this year, next year and every year thereafter but the truth is they do not have the experience right now. The only Laker players on the current roster that have the playoff experience past the first round are Kobe, Fisher and Luke. The rest of the team do not have the experience needed. With that said, everyone always sleeps on the Spurs until they realize that they are still playing in June. So my take is this, the Spurs are the NBA Champions and until they are knocked out of the playoffs THEY are the team to beat. They have the experience and they always seem to turn it on at this time of the season and of course the playoffs. I hate to admit this as watching the Spurs play is like watching paint dry but that’s beside the point because they do what it takes to win.

OK so we’ve settled that San Antonio is the team to beat and that’s great and dandy. But… and this is going to be a big BUT.. LA has the TALENT along with Mr. 24. The Lakers might not be the team to beat, but they are contenders in a big way. Its true that most of the roster do not have playoff experience but speaking as a loyal fan whose followed the team from day one this season I believe that the lack of experience will be outweighed with the talent, drive and determination of the team. Sure San Antonio is the team to beat but LA will be the team to beat team.