Wins, Wins, Wins

With the Boston Celtics (18-2) and Los Angeles Lakers (15-2) off to hot starts, NBA pundits are already bringing up the possibility of either team challenging the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ record win total of 72.  The notion seems ridiculous at first, but upon further examination, this blogger isn’t ready to completely rule out the possibility.  The Lakers are in a league of their own in the Western Conference, and currently have a 76 percent chance of winning the conference according to ESPN.com writer John Hollinger’s Playoff Odds.  The Celtics can only be challenged by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in their conference, as those two clubs are on a different level from the rest of the East.

But is it really possible?  Anything is possible, but either team even cracking 70 wins is highly unlikely.  The most glaring problem for either team is that they’re missing an important piece of that ’95-96 Bulls squad, one Michael Jordan.  Jordan found ways to will his team to victory better than any other player in the history of the league.  As much as people have wanted to compare the two, Kobe Bryant is not Michael Jordan, and neither Pau Gasol nor Lamar Odom is Scottie Pippen.  The potential for injury and feuding could come into play.  The Lakers don’t play great defense and the Celtics are old.  It’s probably safe to say that the 70-win club will remain a one member guild.
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