But this year I won’t get to moan all season long about how my Lakers are being underrated, it seems. When asked to put their names on their picks, SI’s writers all pick the Lakers to make the playoffs, as apparently the 8th, 7th, 7th, and 5th place teams in the West.
Even I won’t dare say they should be expected to get home court in the first round. I wouldn’t even if there were no doubts about Kobe’s health to start the season.