Lakers still more compelling than Spurs, Mavs
It's not that no one respects the accomplishments of San Antonio and Dallas; it's that it may be an end of an era in L.A.
ASK THE NBA EXPERT
By Ira Winderman
NBCSports.com
You ask, we (try to) answer.
Q. Why is it always about the Lakers failing, and never about the Spurs or Mavericks succeeding? And I don't even like the Spurs.
— Bryan, Frisco, Texas
A. Because that's where the focus is, especially with a team being a two-time defending champion. Plus, let's face it, San Antonio and Dallas long have been vanilla franchises, led by their vanilla stars, Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki.
And the Spurs and Mavericks long have been dominant during the regular season, so it's basically another nothing-to-see-here-folks season for each.
No, these Lakers are fascinating, because just like the first crash-and-burn under Phil Jackson, when Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant no longer could coexist, there is a sense of another end of an era, so it's only natural that the focus is on a potential imploding.
While the West has not exactly lived up to its billing this season, the Lakers, Spurs and Mavericks remain the only legitimate le contenders, so the race for the top seed could be more significant than previous seasons.
Remember, the Lakers basically opened with the easiest portion of their schedule. What follows is the true heavy lifting.
Q. Why does the media hate the Spurs so much?
— Art, San Antonio
A. It's not the media, it's Bryan (see above).
Again, what the media, and, in turn, the fan base, enjoy is a solid yarn, a team with a compelling story. Yes, George Hill is showing some Bruce Bowen-like feistiness, Manu Ginobili is healthy again, DeJuan Blair is showing a decided upside. But the most compelling part of the Spurs' story is the off-the-court travails of Tony Parker. That's just the way it is.
No one hates the Spurs, because there is nothing there to hate, no true villain (Hill hasn't reached that point yet). But because the Spurs have endured for so long with such a familiar cast (even longer than the current rendition of the Lakers), it's a story that's already been told over, and over, and over.