On Wednesday, another Denver day as cloudy as the Jon-and-Kate marriage, the forecast from Los Angeles was infuriating: sunny with a chance of repeat.
The Lakers rode in their championship parade, followed by a public address from Kobe Bryant: “Here we are, back on top. We have a young team, a team that has a lot of chemistry. And we’re all hungry. We want to do this thing again and again.”
Let’s face facts. The Lakers ain’t going anywhere. The champs will likely re-sign Lamar Odom, and free agent Trevor Ariza, who has been linked to the Pistons, said he wants to return to L.A., where he played high school and college ball.
And, yes, only once in the conference and NBA Finals did Andrew Bynum tally double-digit points or rebounds, but the 21-year-old wasn’t 100 percent healthy and — he’s only 21. Bynum’s going to get better.
Which brings us to our town’s team. The Nuggets were a noble No. 2 in the Western Conference last season, knocking down myths they couldn’t play defense, knocking on a lumberyard of wood to escape major injury and, ultimately, knocking on the Lakers’ door, taking the conference finals to 2-2 before collapsing.
But can the Nuggets eclipse the Lakers? It will be tough; as coach George Karl said this week, the Nuggets cannot stay complacent. Indeed, Denver has its top five scorers back, assuming the team doesn’t move a piece for financial reasons. And returning guard J.R. Smith is a wild card because his ceiling is so high (is he a 15-point guy or a 25-point guy?). The Nuggets could use another savvy veteran off the bench, a perimeter player who can be a factor on the court and in the locker room, and they could use a backup point guard who’s, say, actually under 30.
The team’s priority is to re-sign Chris Andersen, and it’s understandable that Denver could even give the free agent an extra year on his contract to save money in the short-term (incidentally, the Nuggets should begin next season over the luxury tax line, but just like last season, it’s not about where you start — it’s where you finish).
As for restricted free agent Linas Kleiza, he’s definitely an investment, but in this economy, if another team overpays for L.K., then it’s possible Denver won’t have him back.
The Lakers’ Pau Gasol also addressed the fans Wednesday, but he might as well have addressed the Western Conference, too: “We want more. After experiencing what we experienced in the parade, we want to definitely offer you more. So be ready for it.”
