Derek Fisher says the road to the NBA title goes through San Antonio since the Spurs are the defending league champions.
The veteran Lakers guard also pays homage to New Orleans as an up-and-coming club that must be taken seriously.
Fisher is well-schooled in diplomacy.
But the Lakers, who await their opponent in the Western Conference finals that begin Wednesday night at Staples Center, could very well be the team to beat. They are at the halfway point of a potential journey to their first title since the Shaq and Kobe days of 2002.
Boston seemed the team to be most wary of entering the playoffs, having gone 66-16 while ruling the weaker Eastern Conference. But the Celtics have looked anything but dominant in the postseason, losing all six of their road games. And they’re no cinch to beat Cleveland in the conference semifinals or Detroit in the conference finals, should they get there.
