My Prediction: Why the Lakers Will Win the 2010 NBA Title

With the addition of Ron Artest and the subtraction of Trevor Ariza, the Lakers are boosted to have an upgrade of an NBA basketball player joining their roster this season. With Artest, the L.A. Lakers have the weapons to compete for the NBA title again and defend their basketball crown. Now, a year older, Kobe Bryant is still the NBA's best basketball closer and there is no stopping the Black Mamba on his way to capturing his fifth title. With a gigantic frontline of Andrew Bynum at center, Pau Gasol at power forward, and Ron Artest at small forward, the Lakers look poised to strike out of the gate in November. As the Lakers have Derek Fisher to fill out the other guard slot, they also have youngsters in Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar to help the elder veteran Fisher by relieving him of his minutes. The Lakers have made a big effort to re-sign Lamar Odom, their most valuable reserve off the bench to help the team contend and defend its title. There is no question that the Lakers have kept their main core intact from last season. There is no doubt that the Lakers cannot be beaten this season. To beat the Lakers, you have to beat Kobe Bryant. You can't beat Kobe Bryant. You can only hope to contain him, and limit his shot opportunities. That said, given Kobe's talent for handling the basketball, there is no one driven to compete and succeed more than the Black Mamba.

Jamal Crawford: Hawked Up Style of Play

His presence felt in Atlanta made sense to Jamal Crawford. He is expected to play reduced minutes apart from his time when he was in New York. With the Knicks, he averaged over twenty points a game and averaged at least fifteen shots. In Atlanta, he should expect reduced shots and minutes. Overall, Crawford is anticipating a lesser impact on his role on a Hawks time that has won 47 games last season and are expected to be even better. On this Hawks team that includes backcourt mates in Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson, Crawford is much more expected to be a ballhandler, distributor, and scorer respectively for this team. He is a dead-eye shooter from anywhere on the court. His presence definitely will be valuable for the time he'll spend in Atlanta. There is no one more fitted than Jamal Crawford to be able to do those three things for the Atlanta Hawks this upcoming 2009-2010 season. This Hawks team has proved that they can hang with the best teams of the East, pushing the Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination in seven games in the 2007 NBA playoffs before losing the crucial game. With the talent that they have on their squad with Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford, they are an incredibly lanky frontcourt that is hell-bent on athleticism and defensive ability.

With new veteran teammates in Jason Collins and Joe Smith, the Hawks are full of interior depth in their front court. With Zaza Pachulia backing up Al Horford at center, Atlanta expects Collins to be able to play some spotty minutes once Pachulia is in foul trouble or needs rest. I think that with the minutes Maurice Evans plays behind Marvin Williams and Josh Smith, that the Hawks will have the firepower they need to win games.

Also with rookie point guard Jeff Teague learning the ropes in the NBA and with the Atlanta Hawks, there is no doubt that Mike Bibby will eventually have a replacement once when he retires. At age 33, Bibby is still in his prime, although he has shown that in crucial stages of the game, he should be resting and another ballhandler should be able to run the point.