The latest NBA Lakers rumors 2012 have various past and present players talking about the chances Los Angeles has of winning it all. Most fans believe LA looks like the team to beat on paper, but they just might be overlooking the current champions. Now a former Laker is even coming out and saying he believes Miami holds the edge over Los Angeles as the season approaches.
James Worthy was a star player for Los Angeles for 12 years, where he was a 7-time All-Star and 3-time NBA champion. He also achieved a championship while in college at the University of North Carolina. He currently is an analyst for Time Warner Cable SportsNet. Add all of that up, and he seems more than a little qualified to speak on basketball matters, especially as they relate to a franchise he was loyal to for his entire career.
Unfortunately Lakers fans might not like what Worthy has to say about his team for the upcoming 2012-13 season. In a new LA Times interview, Worthy was asked about how LA looks in the West this year. He noted:
"Anytime you have Dwight Howard on your team, it's going to look on paper. But it still has to gel. When he was in Orlando, they looked good on paper from time to time. ... We also can't forget the Clippers are improving, Oklahoma City is still great. You can't just give it to the Lakers. They have to go out and earn it. It looks good on paper, but [Coach] Mike Brown still has to make it work."
Worthy went on to say he believes Oklahoma City is a young and talented team, but that with the new additions, Los Angeles should beat anyone in the West, if they can stay healthy. However, when asked about the Miami Heat, Worthy had a different tune. He said, "Miami still has a little edge simply because they won last year." Worthy included the fact that the Heat have added two more legitimate scoring threats in Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen, and still have "the greatest player in the game with LeBron James."
Basically, Worthy is being politically correct and giving Miami their due respect as champions. If he were coaching the Lakers he might have a different sort of message for his team that they can defeat any team, any day. The Lakers will likely develop that confidence, barring any meltdowns by new players, or inability to get along. Worthy is correct in saying that on paper, LA looks pretty darn good right now though. If and when they make the NBA Finals in 2013, fans can only hope that Miami is the team lining up across the court from them, so a true analysis can be made over who is best of them all.
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