6 reasons to feel better about D12 to L.A.

"What's everyone so upset about?"

When I heard the big news last night that the Lakers had somehow won the Dwight Howard sweepstakes without sacrificing Pau Gasol, I was displeased.  Michael-Scott-finding-Toby-back-in-Scranton displeased.  And this morning, the consternation is still fresh.

But it's time to start rationalizing; it's good for the soul.  Twelve reasons to feel better about D12 landing in L.A. would be a stretch, but here are six that might help lift your spirits on the gloomiest Friday for Celtics Nation since July 6...

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1.  The Dwightmare is over:  Is the result horrifying?  Sure.  But an end to "Indecision" stories is cause for celebration, any way you slice it.

2.  More fuel for Shaq disses:  Following Shaq's footsteps from Disney World to Hollywood will only invite more unflattering comparisons between Dwight and the league's former (and far superior) Superman -- not in the least from Shaq himself.  The Diesel, of course, has a history of clowning on Dwight, and we have to assume there's more to come.

"Really, Dwight?  L.A.?"

3.  Karma:  Because making such a joke out of this infamous tee-shirt has to have cosmic repercussions, right?

(Please refrain from pointing out the obvious.)

4.  Our sports-hate balance is restored:  The boys from South Beach have been hogging our disdain for two years now, and the sight of universally-beloved hoops treasure Steve Nash showing off a purple-and-gold jersey earlier this summer was definitely disorienting.

This photo still makes my eyes melt.

Dwight's arrival in L.A., however, more than balances out Nash's likability and shifts the brunt of Celtics fans' ire back where it belongs, focused firmly our West Coast arch rivals.

And remember that scrappy, hard-to-hate team our traditional East Coast foes were fielding down in Philly?  Now they're building around this guy.

On some level, it all feels right.

5.  Perk has our back:  Seeing as Jason Collins might be our best defense against the league's premier center five years running, the prospect of meeting L.A. in a third Finals in six years now represents a particularly daunting roadblock to hanging banner no. 18.  But don't underestimate the newfound importance of Kendrick Le'Dale Perkins in the battle for Western Conference supremacy.

"The Lakers are the team to beat now, huh?  Just like that?"

Remember the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals?  Nobody checks D12 as well as Perk.  And Serge Ibaka is no slouch on D either.  As scary versatile as a Nash-Kobe-Pau-Dwight foursome will be on offense, Perk and co. are built to contain them.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, even a 3x Defensive Player of the Year can only cover Nash's butt so much as he attempts to chase around Mssrs. Westbrook and Harden.  And a small-ball lineup with Durant at the four could render a Gasol-Howard tag team useless.

In short, don't pencil the Lake Show in for the Finals just yet.

But say they do make it, and we do as well.  Then you can always take solace in...

6.  1969:  Need a history lesson?  Head over to YouTube.

And remember:  Even Dwight Howard is no Wilt Chamberlain.

When searching for inspiration, turning to Bill Russell is always a good choice.