When last we saw them: Finished 57-25, first in the Pacific Division and numero uno overall in the West. Made it all the way to the NBA Finals, where they were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the league's first ever "six game sweep" (oh no, that's not going to motivate them at all...).

They're heeeeeeeere: Dwayne Mitchell, Josh Powell, Sun Yue

They're NOT heeeeeeeere: Ira Newble, Ronny Turiaf

The Good: There was very little turnover from a team that went to the NBA Finals. Kobe should still be in MVP form. Andrew Bynum is back to add muscle, rebounding, shot-blocking and those nifty little jump hooks. Thanks to Bynum's return, Grand Theft Gasol should get to spend significant time at PF instead of C, which better suits his marshmallowy goodness skill set. Derek Fisher oozes veteran leadership and, of course, hustle: Fish lead the league in drawing offensive fouls last season (54). Lamar Odom can do a little bit of everything and now gets to operate under the Kobe/Gasol/Bynum three-way safety umbrella (which is good, since Lamar tends to wilt under the bright lights). They're motivated after last season's Finals Fail. (Said coach Phil Jackson: "There's still a little angst and anger there.") They're pretty deep, with Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Trevor Ariza, Luke Walton and Chris Mihm all coming off the bench. They're guided by a Hall-of-Fame coach and a proven offensive system: Last season they were third in field goal percentage (.476) and fourth in points scored (108.6). Sasha Vujacic is still The Machine. Let's face it, the Lakers can transmute lead into pure gold and transform evil into beautiful woodland fairies.

The Bad: Kobe might be a little worn down: He opted to forego pinky surgery, he's logged more minutes over the past three seasons (9,609) than any other player in the NBA (according to the Elias Sports Bureau), and he spent the summer playing for Team USA instead of getting a little R&R. Lamar Odom is (as always) a little off his rocker: Jackson said he might want to bring Odom off the bench, and Odom responded by saying, "He must have woke up and bumped his head. He probably hit his head on something - boom. To start off like that, you've got to be out of your...mind." Lovely, huh? Because I'm sure Odom knows more about basketball then Jackson. Speaking of player discontent, Andrew Bynum apparently "oozed petulance" when asked if he liked coming off the bench. His response, highlighted by an eye-roll, was "Not at all." (Hey, it wouldn't be Hollywood without a little drama, right?) There's also no telling how Bynum's re-introduction to the lineup will affect team chemistry, or even how well he'll play...assuming his knee and post-rehab psyche are both 100 percent. The Lakers were merely an adequate defensive team last season. Oh, and they look horrific in short-shorts.

Fun Facts: Believe it or not, the Lakers franchise was founded in 1946 as the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League. The Gems were owned by a man named King Boring. No, really. After one season - during which they went 4-40 - the Gems were bought by Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen, who moved the team to Minneapolis and renamed them the Lakers. Even though 14 former Lakers are in the Hall of Fame, only seven jersey numbers have been retired. Magic Johnson had 138 career triple-doubles. For some perspective on that accomplishment, Kobe Bryant has had 14.

Videotastic extra: Here are some amusing moments from Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals. My favorite was when Posey blocked Sasha's freethrow.

When last we saw them: Finished 48-38, third in the Pacific Division and ninth overall in the West. Failed to live up to their rep as the NBA's premier feel good team by not returning to the playoffs to act as a bracket buster for the second straight year.

Key Arrivals: Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, Corey Maggette, Marcus Williams, Richard Hendrix, Ronny Turiaf

Key Departures/Defections/Jailbreaks: Austin Croshere, Baron Davis, Chris Webber (does this really count?), Kosta Perovic, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Patrick O'Bryant, Troy Hudson

The Good: Wow. Writing this section is like trying to pick delicious leftovers out of a McDonald's dumpster, but here goes. Playing Nellie Ball means the Warriors will score a lot of points: They led the league last season in both scoring (111.0 PPG) and shot attempts (90.3). They signed their franchise guy, Monta Ellis, to a long-term deal. Andris Biedrins, whom they also locked up for six years, is a double-double machine who doesn't require a lot of touches. Stephen Jackson can light it up (20.1 PPG last season), plus he provides scary toughness and emotional leadership. Corey Maggette loves to shoot the rock, which means he'll fit perfectly into Don Nelson's offense. Al Harrington can do a little bit of everything and he's just entering his prime (Harrington turned 28 last February). Ronny Turiaf may be limited in the talent department, but he'll certainly bring intensity (and insanity) off the bench. Kelenna Azubuike and Brandan Wright are talented up-and-comers. Marco Belinelli and rookie Anthony Randolph looked great in the Summer League. The bench is a little deeper, so Nelson won't be have to rely on his patented six-man rotation.

The Bad: Baron Davis defected to the Clippers (basically because Chris Mullin didn't want to pay him enough). Mind you, Davis was not only their best clutch shooter, he was their only real playmaker. Who's going to keep Nelson's offense running now? They weren't able to win (read that: give up bags and bags of money to obtain) Gilbert Arenas or Elton Brand in the free agent lottery. Shortly after he signed his new king-sized contract, Ellis got injured his ankle, had surgery (and will have to miss at least three months because of it), lied to his employers (and the world at large) about how he hurt himself, and then lost major cool points when he admitted that it happened while [DORK ALERT!!] riding a freaking moped. They probably overpaid for Biedrins ($62 million), who is talented but limited (think Troy Murphy 2.0). As I said above, Stephen Jackson is their EMOTIONAL LEADER. As a team, the Warriors treat defense like it's some kind of contagious disease; in 2007-08, they were dead last in points willingly surrendered (108.8) and 26th in field goal percentage allowed (.468). Their lack of size and helter-skelter playing style hurts them on the boards, which is why they were next to last in rebounding differential last season (-3.84). Half of the guys on the team are new this season, and their prime time player isn't going to be around for another couple months...so the team's chemistry and continuity are in question. Don Nelson is in the final year of his contract, so he's a lame duck coach. Their longtime mascot, Thunder, was another casualty of Clay Bennett's raping of Seattle.

Fun Facts: The Warriors were founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors, a charter member of the Basketball Association of America. And check out their crazy mascot. The Warriors have retired almost as many numbers as the Lakers: 13 (Wilt Chamberlain), 14 (Tom Meschery), 16 (Al Attles), 24 (Rick Barry), and 42 (Nate Thurmond). Only one Warrior ever made the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and it's been a while (Nate Thurmond made the team in 1969 and 1971). The Warriors could have drafted Vince Carter, but they traded his rights for Antawn Jamison.

Videotastic extra: It's sad that the Warriors lost their mascot, but I know there's at least one cheerleader who's not sorry to see him gone...