Mark Cuban Downplays Lakers Title Chances

Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

Leave it to Mark Cuban to hate on the fantastic offseason engineered by Mitch Kupchak. The outspoken owner of the Mavs is back to his old routine of propping up Dallas while doubting Los Angeles. According to Cuban there is no reason to believe the Lakers are in the title hunt based on offseason acquisitions alone even going as far as referencing the Lakers’ Gary Payton–Karl Malone failure of ‘04.

"“The Lakers have done this before. Gary Payton and Karl Malone and Kobe and Shaq were all together, and it didn’t work. It takes great chemistry. … It takes guys wanting to be there. I don’t know if all their guys want to be there.”"

Far be it for me to criticize Cuban for stating the obvious. I too have my doubts about the new look Lake Show. And yes, chemistry is critical.

However considering how horribly the Mavs looked in being swept by the Thunder last year and given the players they’ve lost during the last two years I think Cubes goes a little too far when talking up his team.

Memo to Mark: You acquired O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, Darren Collison and Elton Brand this offseason. That’s the type of unit you’d build an expansion team around, not a title contender.

Of course Cuban can just remind us all of what happened last time his franchise met the Lakers in the playoffs. And we can just remind him how he missed out on a chance at landing Kobe Bryant and Deron Williams due to two separate stints on reality shows. But I’m not one to dwell on the past.