Boston prevailed, of course, for the ninth time in the 10 championship confrontations between these two storied franchises. And what wouldn't David Stern give to crown the upcoming season with still another Lakers-Celtics series?

While there's an excellent chance that Stern's fondest wish will come to pass, it's just as likely that the next episode of the NBA's most glamorous and persistent rivalry will be canceled through the efforts of several "outsiders." That is, ready, willing and able teams from much smaller markets.

Here, then, are the clubs who are capable of supplanting the Lakers' supremacy in the West.

1) The New Orleans Hornets should mount the most significant challenge because: They can run with the speedy Lakers. The most glaring weakness in the Lakers' defense is their failure to deal with high screen/rolls, which — as engineered by the incomparable Chris Paul — are the Hornets' specialty. Defenses must also be rigged to try to contain David West. And the addition of James Posey provides New Orleans with the only defender in the league who can minimize Kobe Bryant's explosive point-making.

2) Even though several key players are on the verge of obsolescence, the San Antonio Spurs' experience and superior defense should never be discounted. Manu Ginobili should be healthy and spry by the time the playoffs come around. Nor do the Lakers have any answers for the problems posed by Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. And Gregg Popovich can certainly match Phil Jackson X for X and O for O.

3) On paper, the Houston Rockets have all the necessary elements to overcome the Lakers: A potent pivotman in Yao Ming, who's also capable of dropping midrange jumpers. A dynamic scorer in Tracy McGrady. A point guard, Rafer Alston, who can exploit the defensive shortcomings of Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar. And in Ron Artest and Shane Battier, a pair of extraordinary defenders to make Kobe labor mightily for every shot and every point. If Rick Adelman manages to meld the Rockets into any semblance of unity and cohesion, Houston has an excellent chance of coming out of the West.

4) One of the biggest surprises in last season's playoffs was how easily the Lakers handled the Utah Jazz. In a postseason tournament that puts a premium on power, Utah could never get a handle on the quicker Lakers. Even so, the Lakers can be had if Jerry Sloan can find a way to maximize the muscle of Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap and Matt Harpring; if Andre Kirilenko's spidery defense can limit Kobe's offense; if Mehmet Okur can routinely knock down 3-balls; and if Deron Williams can be routinely spectacular.

Long shot: The Dallas Mavericks, but only if Jason Kidd can recapture the rapture and guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry can convince the Wizard of Oz to do for them what he did for the Tin Man.

Here's how the championship wannabes shape up in the East.

1) Is this the season in which LeBron James proves himself to be a reliable jump shooter? Can Maurice Williams' ball-oriented skills complement the on-the-ball genius of LBJ? Do Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace have any game left? Can Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson hit enough long balls to keep the middle open? Can Anderson Varejao make any shots besides layups? With enough "yes" answers, the Cleveland Cavaliers could conceivably dethrone the Celtics.

2) The Orlando Magic are next in line, especially since Dwight Howard can overpower any of the centers that Boston puts on the floor. But Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson have to be at the top of their respective games — shooting bull's-eyes and making impeccable decisions. Even so, the key to beating the Celtics is Hedo Turkoglu — his outside shooting, unexpected slow-motion drives and unselfish passing make him the Magic's MVP. Too bad the Magic's defense is so underwhelming.

3) To mount a serious challenge to Boston, the Detroit Pistons need a return to greatness by Chauncey Billups, anything from Antonio McDyess, some stalwart defense from Kwame Brown, a few jump shots from Jason Maxiell and the continued development of Rodney Stuckey. Above all else, the Pistons can only supplant the Celtics if Rasheed Wallace decides to bust his butt in every minute of every game.

Long shots: The Philadelphia 76ers, if they can successfully blend their talents. The Toronto Raptors, if Jermaine O'Neal stays healthy and if they get anything from their second unit.