Item: Heading into this season, just about everybody favors the San Antonio Spurs to win the Western Conference now that Shaquille O'Neal has been moved by the Los Angeles Lakers to Miami. But there are those who believe the Spurs are overrated, and their collapse against the Lakers in the playoffs last spring was an indication how vulnerable they still are.
What it really means: The Lakers are no longer a factor, which automatically means the Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings become the teams to beat in the West. Neither of the latter two have beaten the Spurs in a playoff series. In fact, since the Spurs lost to the Utah Jazz in the 1998 conference semifinals, the Lakers are the only team in the Western Conference to beat them in a playoff series. In other words, to not favor the Spurs would be naïve at best.
http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/7797100/2