Can the Lakers repeat? That's a silly question. Of course they can. They have the best big man in the game and arguably the best perimeter player in the league.

The Lakers really improved themselves in the offseason by picking up Horace Grant and J.R. Rider -- both give them better defense and rebounding.

The Lakers will miss Glen Rice early in the season -- more than they might realize -- because his presence on the perimeter alone made it difficult to focus defensively on Shaq and Kobe. But J.R. provides a third creator of offense.

While J.R.'s attitude could be a factor, I think it's a great gamble to take. He came cheap with a lot of baggage, and if anything can straighten him out it's Shaq, Phil, winning and humility.

Last year Shaquille O'Neal was a man on a mission. Yet, despite his dominance, the deeper and more-talented Blazers very nearly upset the Lakers in the conference finals.

This time Portland won't choke. The additions of Dale Davis and Shawn Kemp give the Blazers two more All-Star-caliber big men to blanket Shaq and, if necessary, put him on the foul line.

Rasheed Wallace is a mismatch at both ends for Horace Grant, while Scottie Pippen and Steve Smith can take away the vaunted post-up games of Kobe Bryant and Isaiah Rider (if he hasn't gone AWOL by then).

The Blazers will use last year's Game 7 collapse as motivation, while L.A. discovers just how difficult it is to win the second time around.