Back on October 30th, I wondered, if after two games, they were as good as they had played in those first games. Thirty-one games later, and after a horrid stretch were they were finding ways to blow big leads and either barely hang on for wins or lose games altogether, I'd have to say, "Yes, they are this good."
Even after losing last night at home for the just second time all season against a very good New Orleans team, the Lakers have shown that they can be mentioned in the same breath with the elite teams in the league. Because they ARE an elite team in the league. For a while it looked like the Lakers were one of the worst elite teams we had seen in years. They were winning games, as their record had proved, but they weren't pretty. They had lost two games on an East Coast road trip that proved they weren't an elite team, yet. Then they went home for Christmas and the red-hot 27-2 Boston Celtics, the defending champs, arrived, and the Lakers ran them off the court like they were a bunch of teenage street players just learning how to play "HORSE". Since then, the Celtics went spiraling into a 2-5 record and have shown they are a very beatable team, and the Lakers leapfrogged both Boston and Cleveland into the league's top spot with the best record.
Kobe Bryant continues to be Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol has become a huge fan favorite with his likeable charm on and off the court, and his ability to step up and come up big late in games as a second option. Andrew Bynum hasn't had the season he would have liked so far, but when you realize he would still be a Junior in college right now, the Lakers can't really complain too much. The biggest surprise so far has been the consistency from the bench, in particular from Trevor Ariza, who has provided much of the hustle and spark of the bench left behind by the departed Ronny Turiaf to Golden State.
If the Lakers can shore up the defense a little (they're giving up 100 points a game), they should be in good shape heading into the second half of the season.
Even after losing last night at home for the just second time all season against a very good New Orleans team, the Lakers have shown that they can be mentioned in the same breath with the elite teams in the league. Because they ARE an elite team in the league. For a while it looked like the Lakers were one of the worst elite teams we had seen in years. They were winning games, as their record had proved, but they weren't pretty. They had lost two games on an East Coast road trip that proved they weren't an elite team, yet. Then they went home for Christmas and the red-hot 27-2 Boston Celtics, the defending champs, arrived, and the Lakers ran them off the court like they were a bunch of teenage street players just learning how to play "HORSE". Since then, the Celtics went spiraling into a 2-5 record and have shown they are a very beatable team, and the Lakers leapfrogged both Boston and Cleveland into the league's top spot with the best record.
Kobe Bryant continues to be Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol has become a huge fan favorite with his likeable charm on and off the court, and his ability to step up and come up big late in games as a second option. Andrew Bynum hasn't had the season he would have liked so far, but when you realize he would still be a Junior in college right now, the Lakers can't really complain too much. The biggest surprise so far has been the consistency from the bench, in particular from Trevor Ariza, who has provided much of the hustle and spark of the bench left behind by the departed Ronny Turiaf to Golden State.
If the Lakers can shore up the defense a little (they're giving up 100 points a game), they should be in good shape heading into the second half of the season.
