Mars wrote:

Sorry to break it to you SoCalians, but Bynum ain't Jesus.

How can you say that?!?! He would have taken KG out and lead the Lakers to and easy championship in 4 games. I haven't seen a player like him since Shaq's prime. Too bad he was hurt. With Bynum, Farmar, Walton, and Vujacic the Lakers would have won. Bynum has proved so much since he's been in the league that he should be a front runner for next years MVP. Definatly better than KG!!

Mars youre a Kings fan right?? Im just going for full and honest disclosure so to start I am a die hard Lakers fan. I was born and raised in LA and the first NBA Finals I remember is 1987. A great time to learn to love the Lakers. Having said that Im confused why you think the Lakers get a "free pass" from the Media or anyone else. They certainly havent received a "free pass" from the LA media. The headlines in the Times have been anything but complimentary of the Lakers and the way they folded like a cheap tent in the Finals. Local sports talk has been picking them apart from Phil and Kobe on down. I am an avid sports fan and spend way too many hours every day scouring the National Sports Media via the web and television and the National media has not given the Lakers a "free pass" either. The Lakers had what for many franchises (like the Kings) would be considered a great season. They won the very tough Western conference beating a very strong Utah team (that almost hurts to say) and handling with relative ease the San Antonio Spurs who have been pretty good the last few years. Then played like they were just happy to be there in the Finals and got their *** handed to them by a hungrier and tougher Celtics team. This is what is being reported everywhere, what says "free pass" about that??

As for Bynum clearly you didnt see the lakers play with him this year ( I guess you were distracted by those World Beater Kings of yours) but the Lakers were and will be considerably better with him. Just based on his ability as an eraser on the defensive end the Lakers will be better. Add his solid and improving interior play offensivly and his rebounding the Lakers are leaps and bounds better.

I agree in the west the Lakers are hated but in the Easy when the Knicks are good they arent very well liked.

The Lakers WILL be better next year with Bynum. Last season he was AVERAGING a double double--13 points and 10 rebounds in only 28 minutes of play a game....As to the Laker's being reviled, hey when you are good people do not like you and really want to beat you....In the MWC which team is "hated"? The Cougars, hands down....Why? Because we RULE the MWC...It sort of goes with the territory. Whether the Lakers challenge next year, remains to be seen. I think Boston will be one step slower, but I think San Antonio, the Jazz and maybe the Rockets and the Suns with a full year with Shaq have a good chance to be even tougher next year....Who hates the Kings? I think even Laker fans yawn at them....

Mars, you've got to stop inciting others to take cheap shots at the Kings, I don't think I can take it.
Like others though I disagree about Bynum, he's going to be huge for them in the future. It's amazing how Kobe can go from throwing fits about having nobody around him to having a good, young core of players. I sure didn't expect that to happen last summer.

the lakers=notre dame like they suck one year and then get highly ranked the next year for no reason other than because of bs past history? As much as i dislike both institutions, Lakers (wwf-nba I still believe) do have talent that put them in the highest seed. I would say they had some help at times, but aren't as bad as ND