History says Lakers won't win NBA title
Several oddsmakers have pegged the Lakers as favorites to win the NBA championship this season.
After all, the Lakers made it to the NBA Finals last June, without Andrew Bynum, before losing to the Boston Celtics in six games. This fall Bynum is healthy. So is Trevor Ariza, and Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are already up to game speed after their busy summers playing in the Olympics.
So Las Vegas thinks the Lakers are a good bet to win the NBA title -- but history says otherwise.
Why?
Because the last team to lose in the NBA Finals and then rebound the next year and win the championship was the 1989 Detroit Pistons, with Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer, who swept the Lakers in the Finals.
Every other NBA finalist since then, 19 clubs in all, have suffered a big disappointment the next season.
Check out this list:
Losing team in NBA Finals Next season’s playoffs
2008 Lakers ???????
2007 Cleveland Lost in Eastern Conference semifinals.
2006 Dallas Lost in first round of Western Conference.
2005 Detroit Lost in Eastern Conference finals.
2004 Lakers Missed playoffs.
2003 New Jersey Lost in Eastern Conference semifinals.
2002 New Jersey Lost in NBA Finals to San Antonio 4-2.
2001 Philadelphia Lost in first round of Eastern Conference.
2000 Indiana Lost in first round of Eastern Conference.
1999 New York Lost in Eastern Conference finals.
1998 Utah Lost in Western Conference semifinals.
1997 Utah Lost in NBA Finals to Chicago, 4-2.
1996 Seattle Lost in Western Conference semifinals.
1995 Orlando Lost in Eastern Conference finals.
1994 New York Lost in Eastern Conference semifinals.
1993 Phoenix Lost in Western Conference semifinals.
1992 Portland Lost in first round of Western Conference.
1991 Lakers Lost in first round of Western Conference.
1990 Portland Lost in Western Conference finals.
1989 Lakers Lost in Western Conference semifinals.
-- Barry Stavro
Photo: The Lakers' Kobe Bryant can't stop Utah's Paul Millsap from scoring in the first half during an exhibition at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Tuesday. Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times
Excellent article.
Good point!
Everything you said makes complete sense.
One would have to be a complete idiot not to believe this.
Disappointment is inevitable.
I would have to face facts. The numbers do not lie.
I agree 100%.
The west is way too hard.
The east is way too hard.
It will be a waste of time to remotely think that the Lakers could compete this season, at any level, at any time, in any city, including at home.
....And I validate this by my next sentence.....
GOOOOOO BLAZERS!
Posted by: kevin | October 09, 2008 at 06:29 PM
How many of these teams had a key player, or two, that was not there? You need to factor in all the numbers before running stats.
Posted by: hectorartm | October 10, 2008 at 10:48 AM
those other teams didn't make any improvements going into their next season... LAkers got Bynum and Ariza back.. that's a big factor for them winning it all
Posted by: blazersSUCK | October 10, 2008 at 02:42 PM