Andrew Bynum is the formidable presence in the three-second lane that the Lakers so desperately needed against the Celtics in the NBA Finals in June.
At least that is the conventional wisdom going into the NBA regular season that gets under way tonight.
Bynum is the 21-year-old 7-footer who averaged 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds in 35 games before succumbing to injury last season.
His return allows Pau Gasol to move back to his natural power-forward spot and Lamar Odom to become a super sub in a bit of Phil Jackson-inspired tinkering that gives the Lakers uncommon depth.
Odom is not the modern-day version of John Havlicek or even as attack-oriented as a healthy Manu Ginobili in the sixth-man role, but he is a genuine stat-stuffer whose liabilities will be tempered in this scaled-down capacity.
This is not to neglect the force known as Kobe Bryant, coming off an MVP season and poised to collect his first championship trophy without Shaquille O´Neal at his side.
That is how it looms before the first of 82 regular-season games, a highly corrective exercise that weeds out the flawed, ill-conceived and infirm.
What often seems absolute in October is so much fish-wrapping paper by the middle of winter.
Yet it should be pointed out that lots of NBA observers embraced the revamped Celtics at this time last year, and their faith eventually was rewarded.
It would be foolish to think the Spurs do not have another championship run in them, assuming Ginobili regains his health and is ready to impose himself on the postseason.
If the Lakers and Spurs meet next spring in peak form, the Lakers would rate the nod at this point but not significantly so.
The regular season provides the Spurs with enough wiggle room to minimize the slight advantages of the Lakers. It is equally true the Lakers could use the regular season to expand on those advantages.
That is one of the reasons behind the regular season, in case you have forgotten.
A playoff seeding may not be absolute, but it is a fairly reliable indicator of a team´s content.
Other than the Lakers and Spurs - the Western Conference remains the varsity circuit of the NBA, the outcome of the championship be darned - no one else appears worthy enough.
Jerry Sloan and Jazz head into the season with point guard Deron Williams on the injury shelf, which is certain to harm their seeding prospects.
The Rockets are suddenly flirting with an eternal Code Red alert because of the addition of temperamental Ron Artest, who will be monitored closely to see whether he can play nicely with others.
For all the attention the Yao Ming-Tracy McGrady pairing has drawn in recent seasons, the Rockets have not advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs with that injury-plagued duo.
The Suns and Mavericks? They are yesteryear´s news. The Nuggets? They never were.
The Eastern Conference belongs to the Celtics until the Cavaliers or the diminishing Pistons show otherwise.
It just so happens the Celtics undoubtedly will start to diminish as well because of the age of their three-player core: Ray Allen, 33, Kevin Garnett, 32, and Paul Pierce, 31.
The Celtics will not duplicate their 66-win haul last season, and perhaps a less committed approach on their part in the regular season will benefit them in the postseason.
It is almost easy to overlook in the aftermath of their championship that they were extended to seven games in the playoffs by both the Hawks and Cavaliers and looked especially weary on the road.
The Celtics, Cavaliers and Pistons are the top-tier teams of the East, followed by, in no specific order, the Magic, Raptors and 76ers.
Elton Brand enhances the frontcourt of the 76ers, while 22-year-old Dwight Howard is expected to continue his evolution and elevate the Magic to prominence.
The conference is incrementally stronger than in recent seasons but egalitarian enough to keep hope alive among the also-rans.
The Lakers and Spurs … it starts with those two.
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