The Los Angeles Lakers have won three of their first four games after the All-Star break and the team is beginning to look like a playoff contender. Even though the Lakers are nowhere close to championship form, the players are starting to find their roles in the D’Antoni offense.
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In the first half of the season, the Lakers were struggling mightily, and at one point, the team was eight games under .500 with a 17-25 record. Nothing was going right in Los Angeles, and although no one would admit it, the team chemistry was clearly non-existent. However, Mitch Kupchak told CBS Sports that the team camaraderie has improved despite the early separation in the locker room.
“Up until lately, I don’t think anybody in our locker room was getting along. If you went down there, you’d see a bunch of grumpy, upset players, and that’s because we were losing. Losing brings out the worst in everybody, and nobody is happy.”
The Lakers still have a lot of work to do in order to make the playoffs, and with the season dwindling down, they need to make a major push as soon as possible. At this point, the Lakers are three games behind the Houston Rockets for the eight spot in the Western Conference.
Surely Los Angles has a chance to sneak into the playoffs, especially with the way the team has been playing of late. However, the Lakers cannot afford performances like the one they had in Denver if they plan on reaching the post-season.
