For some reason, I will attempt a serious answer to this question.
Historically, championship teams have needed several things:
1. A player who is among the very best in the game, ideally the single best player in the world. Of the four title front-runners (in my opinion, the Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, and Suns), the Suns come up short here. Nash and Stoudemire are both great, but neither is in the same class as Bryant, Duncan, or Garnett -- and, to be honest, I think most serious basketball fans would have to concede that Bryant is in a class by himself. Nash used to be among the most elite, but he is starting to fade just a bit.
2. At least one key player with championship experience, or at least Finals experience. Here it's the Celtics who come up short. The Lakers have Bryant and Fisher, the Spurs have their whole team, and the Suns have O'Neal.
3. A coach who has demonstrated the ability to keep his players focused during the long, mentally challenging postseason run. This edge goes to the Lakers and Spurs.
4. A contingent of second-tier stars who will be able to step up to the challenge more often than not. The Celtics and Spurs have three stars each. The Suns have somewhere between two and four, depending on how O'Neal and Hill play, although to call either of them a "star" at this stage of their careers would be a stretch. The Lakers also have between two and four, but I'd have to rate Bynum and Odom above O'Neal and Hill.
5. A supporting cast of secondary players who are prepared to inflict major damage when the opposition eases up on them. The Celtics have nothing here, and the Spurs are down to probably just Finley. How the Lakers' supporting cast shakes out remains to be seen, but Fisher, at least, is someone who has to be taken seriously. The Suns have Bell, Barbosa, and Diaw, all of whom are huge question marks at this point.
6. Either a large market or the right kind of image to get the better of the officiating. The Lakers have always had this and always will. The Spurs have carefully cultivated a delicate balance of flopping and whining that gives them an edge with the officials. The Celtics and Suns are unproven here, but O'Neal should help the Suns.
7. Great team hunger and/or heart. This is the only category in which the Suns may have the edge. O'Neal and Nash both need a title, desperately, to cement their legacies. Bryant is as hungry as they come, but I have doubts about the Gasol/Odom/Bynum trio. The Spurs have never won back-to-back titles and don't exactly seem poised to break that pattern this year. As for the Celtics, it's not clear to me how much Pierce and Allen really want it -- but I suspect it's not that much.
So the Lakers are among the leaders in each category, except possibly the last one. That's pretty impressive. I sure wouldn't take them on an even-money bet right now, because there is too much that can happen between now and June. But if you had to pick one team to raise the trophy this summer, the Lakers would probably be it.
Sad, but true.
