Weigh-in: who can stop the Lakers? (Voice Of The Fan).(basketball team)(Brief Article)

Zones or no zones, what team can stop Shaquille O'Neal? That's why the Lakers are heavily favored to defend their NBA title. We checked with readers to find out which Western Conference teams might have the best chance against L.A. The Mavericks and Kings were mentioned most often.

For example, Corey Braxton of Clinton, Md., thinks the Mavericks will be a problem for the Lakers.

"The Mavericks provide the most matchup problems--who on the Lakers can guard Dirk Nowitzki? And they have the best combination of youth and experience to play either a fast-paced game or a half-court game," Braxton writes.

There just isn't any stopping the Lakers' offense, writes Joseph Dy of Pasay City, Philippines. So the secret will be finding an equally potent combination of scorers.

"Milwaukee was able to sweep its games against the Lakers last year, and Milwaukee isn't exactly known for its stonewall D," Dy writes. "Sacramento and Dallas have the most offensive artillery of the bunch, but Sacramento has the edge in defense."

Ryan Rees of Jennville, Calif., provides this bottom line: "If Phil Jackson can hold the egos on this squad together, look for a Lakers three-peat."

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