... the Dallas Cowboys are the team to beat in the NFC. 1) Their defense is only going to get better after their letdown against the Super Bowl champs at home in the playoffs, and 2) it will be T2: Judgment Day for Terrell and Tony, two Pro Bowlers who are on a major mission.

... the New York Giants will not repeat as champions. 1) the impact of Michael Strahan's absence both on the field and in the locker room is already being felt, and 2)  another one of their long time leaders, Jeremy Shockey, is uninspired and unhappy being a Giant.

... the NFC EAST is the best division in pro football. 1) Washington and Philadelphia are playoff caliber teams with playoff style defenses, and 2) the Redskins and Eagles, who finished #3 and #4 in the division last season respectively, gave up less total points than the two teams who finished ahead of them in the division.

... the San Francisco 49ers are wild card bound. 1) Quarterback Alex Smith, who has already gone through three offensive coordinators in his brief career, will finally have two leaders that are a perfect fit for his style of ball - offensive genius Mike Martz and future Hall-of-Famer Isaac Bruce - and 2) future Hall-of-Fame Linebacker Patrick Willis (you heard it here first), who possesses the intensity of Mike Singletary and the field awareness of Ken Norton Jr., anchors an up-and-coming defense built to fit the mold of the Baltimore Ravens that won the Super Bowl a few years ago.

... the Arizona Cardinals could potentially be the most exciting team to watch in football. 1) Cornerbacks Roderick Hood and Antrel Rolle, who combined for 10 INTs and 5 TDs last year, have a knack for big plays, and 2) there's nothing better than watching Matt Leinart  throw to two big, strong receivers like Anquan Boldin, who could easily turn a 10-yard slant into a 75-yard TD and Larry Fitzgerald, who seamlessly jumps over defenders to catch deep touchdown passes, not to mention the revival of aging running back Edgerrin James, who rushed for over 1,200 yards last year after most people said he was done.

... the NFC West will be the most interesting division in football this season. 1) No one knows what to expect from the Seattle Seahawks, who no longer have their former MVP Shaun Alexander, and 2) no one knows what to expect from the St. Louis Rams, who won only three games last year, but this time around are expecting the services of QB Marc Bulger, RB Steven Jackson, and WR Torry Holt for a full season.

... the Green Bay Packers will be the most interesting team to keep tabs on the entire season. 1) Brett Favre, and 2) Aaron Rodgers.

... the Minnesota Vikings are my favorites to win their division. 1) Adrian Peterson and the Vikings' ever improving defense, which added All-Pro DE Jared Allen, and 2) Brett Favre?

... we shouldn't expect much from the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. 1) the Lions have no defense, and 2) the Bears have no offense.

... the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will make the playoffs and lose in their first game. 1) As long as Jeff Garcia remains the starting quarterback, you'll know what to expect, and 2) Mike Alstott is not what he used to be.

... the rest of the NFC South does not interest me at all. 1) The only things worth watching are Steve Smith scoring touchdowns, and 2) waiting to see if Reggie Bush finally happens.

... the New England Patriots will lose their dominant form for good. 1) Tom Brady realized he wasn't Joe Montana, and 2) Randy Moss realized he wasn't Jerry Rice.

... the Miami Dolphins will win two games this year. 1) Bill Parcells is good for one win, and 2) Ricky Williams is good for the other.

... the rest of the AFC East is uninteresting to me. 1) The New York Jets have Chad Pennington, and 2) the Buffalo Bills have been in rebuilding mode for the last decade.

... the San Diego Chargers will keep trying to reach the Super Bowl but never get there. 1) When Norv Turner is your coach I wouldn't count on it, and 2) I believe we've already seen the best of LaDanian Tomlinson.

... the Oakland Raiders will contend for the AFC West division. 1) Jamarcus Russell and Darren McFadden are as good as advertised, and 2) the additions of CB DeAngelo Hall and S Gibril Wilson coupled by emerging safety Michael Huff gives the silver-and-black attack arguably the best defensive backfield in the NFL, and the addition of WR Javon Walker immediately makes Jerry Porter a better receiving threat on offense.

... the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos will be two of the worst defensive teams. 1) Although the Chiefs were 5th in the league in passing yards per game last year, the absence of pass rush specialist Allen will open things up for opposing teams against the Chiefs' defensive backs this time around, 2) although nobody in Denver wants to admit it, the Broncos have been in rebuilding mode for quite some time now.

... I still believe the Indianapolis Colts are the team to beat in the AFC. 1) They did a great job of grooming WR Marvin Harrison's replacement, Anthony Gonzalez, by giving him valuable experience last year and he didn't fail to impress, and 2) as long as Peyton Manning continues to do commercials, it means he's still sharp and on his game.

... the AFC South is the second best division in pro football. 1) Vince Young is a true leader, a true franchise player, and his Tennessee Titans are a true playoff contender. 2) JAX, TEN, IND, and HOU were a combined 29-19 against the conference last year and I have no reason to believe anything will change this year.

... the Cleveland Browns are the best football team in the state of Ohio. 1) Derek Anderson, Jamaal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, and Kellen Winslow are rising fast, and 2) the Bengals' Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson are sinking faster than the Titanic.

... the Baltimore Ravens may wind up being the worst team in the conference. 1) No more Steve McNair, and 2) no more Air McNair.

... it looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best team in the conference. 1) Defense (#1 in yards given up per game), defense (#2 in points given up per game), and more defense (#3 in pass yds and rush yds given up per game),  2) being balanced out by offense (Ben Roethlisberger), offense (Willie Parker), and more offense (Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, and Heath Miller).

... Brett Favre wants to come out of retirement. 1) It's boring in Wisconsin, and 2) it's even more boring in Mississippi.

Since THE BIG DREWSKI, Andrew Bynum, hurt his knee on Sunday everyone west of the Atlantic Ocean has begun to talk about "it" once again and the Lakers' chances of success.

What in the heck is KOBE BRYANT going to do now? Many believe he will complain and start hogging his way to 35 points and 40 shot attempts a game if The YOUNG GUNS go on a mini-slump.

Many more believe that BRYANT won't trust center KWAME BROWN enough that he'll go away from the one part of the triangle that makes the KILLER B's tandem of Bynum and Bryant so dangerous - the pick-n-roll- and revert back to jacking up three-pointers all day.

Many, including 24-year veteran sportswriter MIKE KAHN, believe that KOBE still possesses a high level of egotistical selfishness that he'll continue to place himself above the team despite the Lakers' quiet yet convincing rise to the top of the Western Conference standings.

It seems to me that the more KOBE does, the more KOBE is hardpressed in earning the respect of the many so-called NBA fans out there, simply because of his past transgressions on and off the court.

Perhaps those same fans who hesitate in giving KOBE the much-deserved reverence are also the same fans who once questioned Michael Jordan's leadership but are now calling MJ the greatest who's ever played on that "94 x 50 hunk of wood" (to quote the legendary Chick Hearn).

Whatever Bryant does or does not do, he will never get the admiration he deserves until he wins a title as the leader of the Lakers. That's a fact.

A wise man once told me, "THE THINGS YOU DO and THE THINGS YOU DON'T DO, THEY ALL SEND A MESSAGE." Never has this statement ever applied to any NBA player as much as it has with Bryant. You either love him or hate him, there's no middle ground. 

But what irks me the most is when KOBE makes great strides to show improvement in his game, personality, vocal leadership, and maturity level, yet so-called NBA experts continue to doubt him and say, "Not to worry, he'll be the same old ball-hog KOBE once his team loses a game or two in a row."

Notice I didn't say "hate." But it sure is close.

Everyone in the world respects his ability and his game. But why not respect the man?

Every year since Phil Jackson took over from Rudy Tomjanovich the Lakers have improved. Those who have watched every single Lakers game (preseason, regular season, and playoffs) can attest to this. Those who have analyzed the roster from the top down and assessed the moves Kupchak made and didn't make will all know where I'm coming from.

Like Mr. Kahn, I, too, have been a proponent of keeping this nucleus together and not parting with KOBE or BYNUM.

But unlike Kahn, I don't have reason to believe Kobe will revert back to his old ways. In fact I'm glad Kobe was what he was. Simply because when it's all said and done, his legend will tell an even greater story. 

Don't get me wrong, I have doubted Kobe's leadership abilities in the past because I always believed he wasn't being vocal enough with his teammates in the same way Magic, Larry, Isiah and Michael were with theirs. But beginning last year, I started to see a change in the man. An evolution wherein I knew it would lead to greater heights for the Lakers and their young team.

And we're beginning to see them blossom right before our eyes, much to the chagrin of the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and the rest of the Western Conference including Tim Duncan and the aging San Antonio Spurs.

Despite the overall progress of the Lakers the last couple of seasons (most notably this year), "experts" like Kahn nonetheless repeat what has constantly been repeated in the past without giving it much thought. He questions the Lakers resolve, mental toughness, and will to win.

He says about THE BIG DREWSKI, "the concern is how [the knee injury] will affect the growth and confidence he has developed this season as he has begun to dominate the interior at both ends of the floor", obviously questioning whether or not Bynum has the mental strength  and work ethic to overcome adversity and indirectly implies that Bynum may wilt under pressure when it's time to return to the floor because he may be tentative with his left knee.  

What I've got to say is this: Andrew Bynum is no chump. First of all, he's no Shaq because he's hungry enough to want to be in shape and physically capable enough to want to dominate. Secondly, take a look at his statistics and one will see that he has vastly improved every year he's been in the league and that speaks volumes. Thirdly, he is being taught, mentored, tutored, coached, guided, and led by the greatest big man ever to play the game in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 'Nuff said.

I have every bit of confidence in the world that Andrew will come back stronger than ever and the Lakers will be even better. But I don't blame people for doubting them because when you're a great franchise, it all comes with the territory just like the New York Yankees and now the New England Patriots. And also because in years' past the Lakers have given critics and skeptics every reason to doubt. Go ahead and favor the Phoenixs and Dallases of the world, teams who don't win titles. It's all good, because after all The Young Guns will need a little competition.

The bottom line is this: No other franchise in the history of the NBA gets to the FINALS as consistently as the Lakers do EVERY DECADE.

The reason? Because Jerry Buss and the Lakers front office know exactly what it takes to reach and triumph at that level.

Besides San Antonio and maybe Detroit, the rest of the NBA are just a bunch of pretenders who make the sport a fun game to watch.

Now getting back to KOBE...

The fact of the matter is... KOBE has begun to mature and that alone is lifting himself to the next level. Obviously, it has already rubbed off on the rest of the team (Bynum for one) and we are seeing the evolution of THE YOUNG GUNS, much like we saw in Chicago during the late eighties with Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright and co. after they got sick of losing to the Bostons and Detroits of the world.

Bryant is such a winner that two years ago, he HAD TO average 35 because he did it for the team in order for them to stay competitive. He realized (and so did Phil) that he had to take on that role because no one else could step up. No one else was ready so KOBE took over in Jordan-like fashion. If Kobe doesn't score that much then the team doesn't even make the playoffs, and how bad would that look for the city of L.A.?

And between 2000-2004, KOBE could have averaged 30+ if he wanted to, but SHAQ was the number one option so he understood that and kept the peace for the betterment of the team. It was Shaq who couldn't deal with KOBE's ascension to legendary status.

Why else did the INSECURE O'Neal keep saying, "The offense needs to go through me" or "I need touches" if it wasn't for his jealousy of Bryant's impending stardom?

Shaq basically knew that KOBE would potentially threaten his position as the leader of the Lakers. Shaq couldn't deal with it. Period. It wasn't Kobe because if it was, Shaq would still be here. And when O'Neal screamed at Buss to pay him, the final string was drawn. It is my hunch that Shaq took his final year with the Lakers for granted and that's why he didn't get in shape.

All the while, Kobe played within the confines of the system and held back in order for the team to be ultra successful while still being able to take over games when the situation called for it.

Yes, Kobe had his share of moments when he tried to do too much by himself during certain stretches of games. But he was also in his early twenties and he still had a lot to learn about the nuances of the game.

Nevertheless, he played his cards right. If he didn't, I guarantee the Lakers don't win three titles.

Fast forward to the present day...

Kobe bashes Bynum and since then the team has responded and is now first place in the WESTERN CONFERENCE.

The Lakers have defeated Phoenix twice, Utah twice, Denver twice, Detroit, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, and Golden State.

The team is responding to Bryant's leadership and tonight's OT win against Seattle was another perfect display of how far Bryant has come along.

Did you see all his teammates give him a hug after the game? Did you see how his teammates supported Bryant by playing hard the entire game, after seeing the total effort Bryant gave to his team the previous two games while being sick?

Like many people say, only time will tell. But I'll bet my BMW that Kobe has indeed evolved and does trust his troops. He'll go to battle with them and die for them, because he's already done so.

And Mr. Kahn... if Kobe, who has three rings, is not a championship caliber leader, then why don't you tell me who is.

LAKERSFAN19 recently spoke about how boring the NBA has become then went on to write about the proliferation of haterfans in our precious blogosphere, mentioning in particular the constant perceived hate that is dumped on our once revered SHAQUILLE O'NEAL and the so-called brat of the NBA, KOBE BRYANT. As I was commenting on his blog, I began to remember and my comment turned into paragraph after paragraph. So I decided to write a little sumthin sumthin, courtesy of Lakersfan19's original idea. 

The NBA is certainly not boring. In fact, it is exciting. It's where "Amazing Happens."

Seven teams in the Western Conference are on pace for 50+ win seasons and the two teams with the best record in the league are both surprisingly from the Eastern Conference. Boston is on pace to for 70+ wins, which has caused Michael Jordan to pay more attention of late. The Minnesota T-Wolves are threatening the record for futility and the New York Knicks is in another league of their own. Scoring is up while defense continues to determine who wins, and never has there been this many international players in the NBA. The great Scottie Pippen has gone international as well, at the ripe young age of 42, and is apparently still harrassing opponents from the defensive end. I guess the only thing missing is THE RETURN OF THE WORM, Dennis Rodman. Okay, maybe not.

Nonetheless, unprecedented talent has given way to parity which, in turn, has provided fans a ton of great basketball to watch.

But nothing will ever duplicate the drama that developed from the love triangle that was Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Phil Jackson. Not even the famous Jordan-Pippen-Rodman triad from Chicago.

Here, I attempt to briefly revisit what once was and why so many of us have come to "hate" although deep down inside we "love". And more importantly a glimpse of what is to come with these two lead actors, one OSCAR worthy and the other an ESPY nominee.

As far as the "hating" is concerned, I can see why so many fans do it. If you notice, most people will intensify the hate when things are going bad for a particular player on court or off it. It's in our nature as fans and it is, believe it or not, a normal behavior for extremely passionate fans.

What I don't understand, however, is when people continually bring up the past and use this as an excuse to hate even if that particular player has changed. Case in point, KOBE.

Everyone is now beginning to see with the Lakers' drastic improvement that KOBE's immature remarks this offseason may have served a purpose. In fact, Bryant and Jackson may have tactically strategized this in order to get more from the rest of the team.

We all know that the ZENMASTER is known for his psychological ploys, so as fans do we really know for sure that KOBE was all to the bad here?

Bottom line: KOBE BRYANT is a leader and among the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen. Ever.  Always has and always will be. In due time he will get the respect from fans that he rightfully deserves (he always had the respect of his peers) because after all, like former pro sports brats ahead of him - Terrell Owens and Randy Moss - and like that old cliche, "winning solves everything."

I was around to digest everything MICHAEL JORDAN had to endure throughout his early years in the NBA and I see a similar pattern here with the two players, especially since JACKSON is the coach of the two stars.

KOBE is only 29 and for those who have paid attention to all the nuances of his entire career, one can only have utmost respect for his dedication to the purity of the game of basketball. Never mind the off-court antics and stuff because that is really irrelevant.

We as working class people  have issues outside of work that tend to affect our professional careers at times. It's normal folks.

Haters fail to look at what KOBE has brought to his team and to the game. Instead, they find someone to blame and something to blame that someone for. And in a place like Los Angeles, everything becomes all the more magnified.

Why the heck would Jerry Buss pay KOBE all that money in the first place and let SHAQ go for less-than-equal value? Because BUSS not only is a smart businessman but he also recognizes hard work and discipline. Game recognizes game.

And isn't Lamar Odom's 15 and 9 panning out much better than Shaq's 14 and 7 right about now? As far as O'Neal is concerned, he got what he wanted. The cash, the quick championship, and the short-lived glory. Shaq knew in 2004-2005 that guys like 'Zo, Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, White Chocolate, James Posey, D-Wade, and Coach Riley were all hungry to win so he squeezed in at the opportune moment, fit in perfectly, and took advantage.

It was good enough for him to do it for one year, just like it was always good enough for him to treat his conditioning half-heartedly once he earned his contract and delivered three titles to Los Angeles. His contentment is the nature of his personality, unlike Kobe who always believes he can get better. This is the difference between a superstar and a legend. This is what sets apart the Michaels, the Magics, the Kobes, and the Larrys from every other Hall-of-Famer.

Shaq had always been The BIG QUOTATION, so he told Miami fans that he would bring two more titles although he probably knew deep down inside that he was probably done. He will try to mask his inadequacies by simply taking time off here and there in order to play out his contract and honor his fans. But we all know what's best for the team. The Heat should buy him out if they want to be competitive. 

Simply put, The BIG ARISTOTLE is running out of excuses and things to say. His best one came recently when he mentioned that he at least has a Master's Degree to fall back on. A sign that he has reached the end? Definitely so.

I actually believed he had one more solid year in him in 2007-'08. Guess I was wrong. The BIG DIESEL is now The BIG INACTIVE, while KOBE continues to lead the LAKERS' ASSAULT to everlasting greatness and basketball immortality along with THE BIG BYNO-MITE, Andrew Bynum. 

When it's all said and done, KOBE will have more rings than SHAQ and his LAKER legacy will undoubtedly leave a more lasting effect on all of our hearts.

I am sure of this only because KOBE puts more work into his craft than O'Neal ever did.

In any profession, the ones who demonstrate unrelenting work ethic and desire to be the best at what they do regardless of innate ability or talent usually move higher up the ladder (look at the careers of MJ, OLAJUWON, BIRD, MAGIC, who all improved different parts of their games as they got older). Since 2002, tell me one thing SHAQ has improved in his game? Free throws? A go-to move? Rebounding? Defense? Absolutely nothing. Shaq will continue to (and always has) rely on his sheer size and strength in order to intimidate, be physical, and get easy buckets (which helps to explain his high career FG%).

His huge miscalculation about the nature of the game has led him to be ineffective because injuries have now taken their toll on his body and he can no longer rely on what was once his only major strength.

A dedicated center like DWIGHT HOWARD, who continues to work hard on his craft, may wind up becoming a better basketball player than SHAQ (even if he winds up with less rings or no rings at all) because we can see that HOWARD is starting to develop a wide array of post moves, is a force on the boards, and blocks shots like Olajuwon once did. Shaq, with his size, should have led the NBA in rebounding and blocks EVERY year since '99 but he never did so except for maybe one year.

Upon making these points, one would see that no matter SHAQ's dominance between '99-04, he still would not have won those rings without KEY ROLE PLAYERS like Kobe, D-Wade, Rick Fox, Glen Rice, Ron Harper, Brian Shaw, Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, Horace Grant, A.C. Green, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Williams, Gary Payton and Antoine Walker. Think about it. This was SOLID talent built around Shaq.  

After all, when was the last time we saw SHAQ make a game clinching bucket to decide the outcome o####ame?

Way back in 1997-'98 during the last Lakers' home game of the regular season against UTAH. Turn around 12-foot jumper from the left baseline to seal the deal. Del Harris was the coach and L.A. was swept by the same Jazz squad in the playoffs that year.That's probably the only time he ever made a basket at the end of the game when it counted most.

Don't get me wrong, I will not discount Shaq's greatness in his era. However, if you compare his basketball abilites against some of the greatest of all time, in my opinion he is not even top five.

From SHOWTIME to the LAKE SHOW, it's a new era in LAKERLAND. As we look ahead, it might not be long until THE YOUNG GUNS conquer the WILD WILD WEST and the rest of the 'boring' NBA.