The Los Angeles Lakers have the talent necessary to win an NBA championship and in certain games the team will not have to give 100 percent in order to win. A starting lineup of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard cannot be matched and on top that, the Lakers have substantially improved their bench.
However, talent alone cannot win titles and this franchise understands the importance of hard work and dedication. Still, the Lakers have gathered together proven veterans and these players will be ready once the playoffs came around. Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sees something else being a bigger issue and the Los Angeles Times writes that the Captain believes the Lakers must perfect their chemistry in order to become successful.
“Giving the personalities a chance to mesh” is critical, Abdul-Jabbar said. “Everyone understands the game, especially Pau, Nash, Kobe [Bryant] and Metta [World Peace]. They all have great basketball IQ. It’s not about them being knowledgeable. You just have to mesh their personalities and playing styles together in a smooth way.”
The Miami Heat were one of the most scrutinized teams in NBA history due to the influx of talent they experienced in the summer of 2010. No one thought that team could end up winning a title with egos like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but the team found a way to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The Lakers will go through the same level of animosity and they will be target no matter what time of the season it is. Taking on the villain role will be different for players like Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, but the best case scenario would be for the player to accept the fact and help the Lakers win a championship.
