LOS ANGELES -- After the dust settled this summer, Mark Cuban was quick to remind folks that the Los Angeles Lakers failed to win a title the last time they reloaded with a couple of sure-fire Hall of Famers.

Those Lakers, who added graybeards Karl Malone and Gary Payton to a championship core headlined by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, fell short by losing in the NBA Finals.

These Lakers, who added veteran Steve Nash and in-his-prime Dwight Howard to a championship core headlined by Bryant and Pau Gasol, are widely considered the favorites to meet the Miami Heat in the Finals.

"I don't know, I don't care, I just hope they suck," Cuban said with a laugh when asked to evaluate the Lakers on Tuesday night. "You know, like any other team."

Cuban questioned this summer whether all of L.A.'s high-profile pieces would be able to pull in the same direction. That remains a legitimate question after the Lakers' injury-riddled, winless preseason.

"Obviously, Nash is great. He's phenomenal, Dwight's phenomenal, Kobe ... but it takes a team," Cuban said. "They've got to come together and play as a team. Hopefully, they won't figure it out tonight."