Summer Forecast: Who will win the NBA title?

Is it L.A.'s turn again?

Yes, it is, according to about half of our panel of 25 ESPN writers, editors and contributors.

Just as they have been throughout most of NBA history, the Los Angeles Lakers are a force again -- and now the preseason favorites to win NBA title No. 15.

Of course, that means 13 members of our panel predicted the Lakers will not win the 2008-09 NBA championship, and the top challenger in our voting will surprise some: the up-and-coming New Orleans Hornets, not the Boston Celtics.

And, don't forget, the Lakers were also favored going into the Finals in June, and we all saw how the Celtics fed on the skepticism about their chances.

But the difficulty of repeating, especially with an older lineup, is reflected in the voting results below: Only 16 percent of our panel sees the C's going back-to-back.

For the full results, including the surging expectations for the Hornets and the dark-horse candidacies of the Rockets and Cavaliers, see below:

2008-09 PREDICTIONS: NBA CHAMPS
RANK		TEAM	PREDICTED RECORD	VOTES
1		Los Angeles Lakers	55-27 (.671)	12
2		New Orleans Hornets	54-28 (.659)	6
3		Boston Celtics	55-27 (.671)	4
4		Houston Rockets	53-29 (.646)	2
5		Cleveland Cavaliers	50-32 (.610)	1

The Lakers might win the 2008-09 NBA title if ...read full article