by John Roberts

Created on: October 27, 2009

Defending NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers are pre-season favorites to go back to back. Talk about having a giant target on back of the jerseys. After finally winning the big one, how will the Lakers respond in their title defense? Will complacency set in? Have Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson lost their edge after getting the championship they desperately wanted? The competition will be fierce as the league's heavy hitters have reloaded. The Cleveland Cavaliers think Shaquille O'Neal is the right compliment to LeBron James. A healthy Kevin Garnett and newly acquired Rasheed Wallace make the Boston Celtics extremely formidable. Vince Carter joins Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. The San Antonio Spurs traded for Richard Jefferson. The young Portland Trail Blazers got veteran help in Andre Miller. The Lakers have their work cut out in trying to repeat as champions.

General Manager Mitch Kupchak did not stand around with his hands in his pockets. The biggest off-season issue was the protracted often rocky contract negotiations with free agent Lamar Odom. Without the versatile Odom, the Lakers cannot repeat. The deal got done and Odom remains in the Laker family. The team did not stand pat. Trevor Ariza is a terrific young player who blossomed in Los Angeles and saved the season with two spectacular steals in the playoffs. Nobody wanted him to leave but contract talks went south and Ariza suddenly signed with the Houston Rockets.

Kupchak filled the vacancy by signing Ron Artest who campaigned to become a Laker. Ironically Artest was a free agent from Houston so it was like a trade with both receiving approximately the same money. Ariza may be the future but Artest is now and his defensive physical force is something the Lakers lacked. Perhaps the key to winning again is center Andrew Bynum who is again healthy and eager to prove himself. Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar are battling to back up Derek Fisher at point guard. Sasha Vujacic has cut his hair and wants to rebound from an off season. Adam Morrison has regained his shooting touch and in his contract year, hopes to get the minutes to show his stuff.

The only negative is Pau Gasol may not be ready to go. No worry. Odom starts instead. The cast is the same: Phil, Kobe, Fish, LO, Pau, the Machine, Luke, Andrew, DJ and now includes wild card Artest. Oh yeah, Jack is court-side.

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