This time last week, the Lakers were 13-2, the Miami Heat were floating one game above .500 and all was well in Tinsel Town. Today, the Lakers sit at 13-6, and although the Super Friends of South Beach continue to struggle, all is most certainly not well for the purple and gold.
Losing to Utah, Indiana, Memphis and Houston is undesirable at any point in the season – doing so in four consecutive games is simply unacceptable for a two-time defending NBA champion. Unexplainably, the Lakers, who were projected by many to finish the season with an upwards of 60 wins, have apparently forgotten how to close out a game and capture a victory.
Maintaining leads and closing out opponents has come up as a cause for concern for the Lakers in the past; however, with one of the best benches in basketball (freshly coined the “Killer B’s” following their hot start to the season) to go along with a rejuvenated Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, the formula to success appeared as simple as two plus two for the Lakers during their first 15 games of 2010.
Now, as they rest on the heels of a four game losing streak, they must ask themselves: “is this really how we are planning on defending our title?” If the answer is yes, the Lakers and their fans can kiss any hopes at a three-peat, goodbye; because the fellas out in Boston, San Antonio and Orlando are playing like the Lakers are just another team, not the reigning world champs.
Although it is crucial for the Lakers to pick up as many wins as possible while the season is still young, and while their players are still fresh – it’s generally more favorable (in the long run) to struggle and work out all the kinks early on; because come playoff time, they will not have any time to gel or figure out their identity. The teams of the Western Conference are too tough to let the Lakers believe that they can coast to a fourth straight NBA Finals appearance without facing a challenge. If the Lakers do have that mindset (which I don’t believe they do), they are going to struggle mightily when they start facing off with the NBA’s elite.
Next: Complacency Killed the Champs
At this point in the season, the Lakers recent struggles essentially stem from one main point – complacency (easily one of the most feared mindsets of an NBA coach). It’s understandable for a team that has gone to the NBA Finals three years in a row to have a slight sentiment of superiority over the rest of the team’s in the league –that’s expected. Nevertheless, the Lakers’ struggles to possess energy and fire for a full 48 minute contest has proven to be at the root of their recent shortcomings.
Their complacency has also resulted in a mediocre defense and a ton of excuses (not necessarily by the Lakers themselves, but more so the fans). There’s no question the Lakers head into every game with the notion somewhere in their mind that they can dismantle whoever steps on the floor to challenge them. As frustrating as it is to see the Lakers take it easy for a quarter or two, then turn it on for the final period; that is the double-edged sword which stems from being a back-to-back champion and carrying one of the greatest players in NBA history on your roster with Kobe Bryant.
Numbers will be numbers ¬– and to be honest, the reasons for the Lakers’ losses will not show up in a lot of the numbers.
During their last four games (all losses) they are pulling down 41 rebounds per game and only allowing their opponents to grab an average of 39 per night. While the 41 per game average is slightly below the team’s season number of 45.2, they are still outrebounding their foes as they should with two double-digit rebounders in Gasol and Odom.
With that being said, the Lakers struggles do not arise due to a poor effort on the glass. Nor do they come from sloppiness with the ball, as they have kept their turnovers low during their four losses, averaging only 11.2 giveaways (not the bobblehead kind) per contest.
Additionally, the Lakers have been getting to the line and converting too, having knocked down 84 of 100 free throws over the course of their losing streak. That’s 84% flat. That would almost tie them for first place among the league’s other 29 teams. Team’s are so often blasted for losing games due to blown opportunities at the charity stripe, and despite their recent record, the Lakers are not among that group of ball clubs.
People criticize Derek Fisher for letting Mike Conley score 28 points on 10 of 13 shooting; and Gasol for helping on TJ Ford in the waning moments of the game, leaving Roy Hibbert (the hottest player in the game at that time) wide open down low. While those plays may have COST the Lakers the game. They were not the only things that LOST the Lakers the game. That was done by committee, and has been done so for four consecutive games.
Next: The Bottom Line
The bottom line for the Lakers is that everyone is struggling – plain and simple. Kobe is shooting too much (he has taken 103 shots over the Lakers’ last four games) and is missing too frequently (he has missed 60 of those 103 attempts) and Pau Gasol has received a major cool down after putting up MVP-like numbers to begin the season. People attribute this to fatigue, as Gasol has been playing nearly 40 minutes a night as a result of the Lakers thinned-out front line, which is missing Andrew Bynum and Theo Ratliff due to injury. While it’s not favorable for Pau to be playing 40-plus minutes a game on a consistent basis this early into the season, him and Odom have to step up while Bynum is out. They proved they could do it during the team’s first fifteen games, and they shouldn’t be that tired where they can’t do it for a few more weeks (when Bynum returns).
While there are many kinks and twists that the Lakers need to figure out, the most important thing that the Lakers need to make a priority, is a commitment to the defensive end. They have arguably the two best perimeter defenders in the NBA (when they want to be, at least) in Ron Artest and Kobe. Fisher, Gasol and Odom aren’t liabilities either. Although Fisher isn’t the fastest of point guards, he’s an asset to the team because of his strength and his willingness to put his body on the line. Most importantly, defense is not something that requires a special talent or incredible athletic ability. Defense is based on effort and desire. And right now, there has been little effort by the Lakers on the defensive end recently. They know that playing tough, solid defense will not only win them games, but championships as well (in case you missed it, game seven of the NBA Finals was won by an incredible defensive effort). Once the Lakers return to their defensive mindset, everything will begin to work itself out.
So Laker fans, do not worry about this Lakers team. They have the wherewithal to succeed, and as the season goes on, they will eventually (hopefully sooner rather than later) put A and B together and return to their winning ways. Phil Jackson and Kobe will not let this talented of a team falter. Everyone knows what they are capable of, and the best coach in the game and the best player in the game will make sure that, at the end of the year, purple and gold will be reigning all over the NBA.