Los Angeles Lakers need some respite from the fans and media: NBA Feature
The Los Angeles Lakers might be struggling at the moment, but they have certainly not performed so badly to merit this sort of fan and media reaction. Yes they did not get off to a start most people had expected this season, especially
after the arrival of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, but the problem does not lie with the Lakers really. It is hidden in between the baggage of expectations associated with this team.
Lakers are currently 9-10, but realistically no one expects a team with the likes of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard to fall below 0.5 by the time the business end of the season arrives. Rather, most people
will argue that this is the championship winning combination that has the fire power to go all the way to the NBA finals. The issues which are keeping them on the back foot are the injuries – most importantly to Steve Nash - and the team chemistry.
Rather than sorting those out though, the Lakers have been in a reaction mode.
When they were faltering at the start of the season, all the blame was put on the coach Mike Brown and a change in the coaching personal was made in an effort to fix the problem. He won his first game with the Lakers, everything
was good, and the championship winning team was back on track.
But just as quickly as the Lakers seem to fix their problems, they disintegrate.
After their last week’s loss to Orlando Magic and the recent one to the Houston Rockets, the reaction mode was switched on again. Kobe was out urging Pau Gasol in public; Dwight Howard was defending his free throws, and D’Antoni
was defending his team.
The question is why they are so apologetic. Why not just forget about the media and the fans and play as per their identity. And anyone who has followed the Lakers even remotely knows that the Lakers’ identity is winning. The answer
lies in the tons of pressure which the Lakers fan and some curious media coverage puts on them.
Solution - I mentioned it before, and I will say it again, the issue is chemistry.
Yeah they have a super star line up which has amazing stats on paper. But the problem is, superstars don’t win matches, a player who scores, defends and plays for his team does – case in point, LeBron James. For the Lakers, one
night Kobe Bryant scores 40 points but none of his teammates put up any significant contribution and they still lose, and when it’s Dwight Howard’s big night, they still lose, because they have not learned to play together. They have not learned to put their
egos aside.
That comes with a merger like that; it will take time, and we need to give this time to the Lakers. The more games they will play together, more will be the understanding between this cast, and only then the much criticized defence
of this team can come to a level worthy of champions.
Till that time arrives, and believe me it will come, cut the Lakers some slack please!!
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