By Mario Morgan

Ahh, the offseason.

For 28 teams and their fans, this is the best time of the year. They can dwell over pipedreams and rosters, make up crazy free agent pickups and lopsided potential trades, imagine scenario after scenario that shows how their team will finally reach the mountaintop,

But even the biggest homer has that seed of doubt, that maybe a better team already exists.

The ending is inevitable. In June, the Lakers will be champions.

Again.

Cry as much as you might, once you make that realization, the game will be that more enjoyable to you. Your soul won't feel shattered when your team is steamrolled by the newest dynasty. You'll accept the beauty of it all.

Its not worth discussing which strategies may be used to slow them down. The Lakers have seen them all. Until the NBA allows other teams to use 7 players at a time (2 to guard Shaq, 2 more to guard Kobe), it's not happening. You'd have better luck if your team had Tonya Harding on the payroll and can get some ahaman to keep Phil in a trance somewhere in Wyoming.

Sorry to pull the curtain back, but everyone knows it's true. Hopefully a challenger will rise with some mental toughness (outside of Bibby, Sac doesn't have it) just for more entertainment sake but even then, you know how the story is going to end. Its not because of refs or any other conspiracy theory, its because of vision from a genius from Cabin Creek, the lunacy of a brilliant coach, and the most dominant 2 man game ever. The only question is whether or not Bryant finally gets the Finals MVP over O'Neal. Everything else is academic.

Mario Morgan is at II_Cleva@yahoo.com