Lakers might as well skip ahead to June

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I’ve seen the best the West has to offer and in case I didn’t get the point across in my game story from last night, there’s nothing there to entice the Lakers, their followers and, well, me.

If the Dallas Mavericks are the West’s second best, let’s just cut to June 1 or 3 (the NBA Finals will start one of those two days). I’m all for it. Seriously.

But since the West playoffs will probably happen because of those little things called ticket sales and TV revenues, I’ll humbly predict what takes place from mid-April to late May.

First Round: Lakers vs. Oklahoma City

There will be at least a four-day stay in OKC for Games 3 and 4. This is not a good thing. The worst trade in NBA history was Vancouver moving to Memphis. The second-worst trade in NBA history was Seattle for Oklahoma City. I’d rather swallow a box of thumb tacks than spend four nights in OKC. Let’s just go right to...

Conference semifinals: Lakers vs. San Antonio

I keep waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

I’m pretty sure I told people the Spurs would be the second-best team in the West after they acquired Richard Jefferson from Milwaukee for a stack of Alamo postcards, a two-night stay at the Westin Riverwalk and a half-gallon of guacamole from Boudro’s (excellent Mexican joint).

I haven’t seen anything to justify my off-season belief that the Spurs are back. Their latest lapse: they lost to Toronto on Sunday.

I know...injuries, injuries, injuries. But isn’t that the Spurs’ mantra every year now? I’m off the ‘Spurs might be a threat’ bandwagon until further notice.

Conference finals: Lakers vs. Dallas

I’m pretty sure I just witnessed the Lakers destroy this team by 35 points without Ron Artest and, for all practical purposes, Pau Gasol.

Good luck to the Mavs when it really counts.

Bottom line: the Lakers won the West by 11 games last season. They’re currently 4.5 games up on Dallas. Who knows how many they’d be ahead of the Mavs if they hadn’t lost Gasol for 11 games (and three losses).

See ya in five months...or more likely later today with injury updates on Gasol on Artest.

--Mike Bresnahan