The NBA schedule is not a sprint. It’s a marathon divided into segments like the acts in a movie. You know, like that new Black Mamba flick.
As in any film first comes the opening act, the introductory phase that takes place before the All-Star break. At this point some teams are still searching for an identity. Slowly but surely a hierarchy is hashed out, the pretenders sorted from the contenders game by game, road trip by road trip. There are stretches of malaise where teams seem to lose focus and coaches lament the grind of the eighty two game season. Sometimes personal goals get in the way of team chemistry, sometimes trade speculation gets in the way of the product on the court. In the end, it is merely a prologue.
The second act is when the dust starts to settle. The shenanigans of the All-Star game are put to bed. Teams know roughly where they fit into the playoff picture, if at all. The race is on to jockey for position. Intensity and focus reach a new level.
Then there’s the playoffs. The best basketball in the world. Forty games in forty nights. Epic rants delivered on a daily basis by Charles Barkley during TNT telecasts. Series by series ends while teams head for the exit. Gone fishin’. In the end, there is only one left standing.
The Lakers are at a tipping point. Act one was a disappointment, punctuated by an embarrassing loss to the worst team in the NBA. Act two has yet to be written, but the writing already on the wall speaks volumes. Either they start handling their business on the court or they’’ll end up going on an early vacation. Just another pretty girl who was forced to leave the party early.
Next: Toughest Yet to Come
Even though the Lakers longest road trip of the season took place in February, it may be in March where the true mettle of the Lakers team reveals itself. The Lakers thought they had it tough on their recent seven game roadie. But they still haven’t traversed what will likely be their toughest stretch of the season.
San Antonio, Orlando, Miami, , Dallas (twice), New Orleans, Atlanta and Portland. All very tough playoff caliber teams who the Lakers will face in the month of March. Of particular concern will be the Mavericks as the Lakers seek to climb the ladder in the west and emerge as a two seed.
But passing the Mavericks will be no easy task considering the difficulty of the Lakers late season schedule and their track record this season when playing elite teams. And if they fall into any deeper of a hole, history will not be on their side.
There has only been one team in the last thirty years who finished as low as a four seed and went on to win the NBA title (the 1995 Houston Rockets, who finished a six seed then went on a miraculous run to defend as champions). If the Lakers continue their mediocre play they risk giving ground even to the rapidly improving Oklahoma City Thunder (currently tied in the loss column with the Lakers). This would mean that they’d be forced to endure a second round matchup with Spurs rather than being able to avoid them until the conference finals. Not a soothing prospect.
But that’s just the problem, isn’t it? At what point did the Lakers become concerned by a matchup with the Spurs?
When the Lakers jumped out of the gate to start the season at 8 – 0 it had many Lakers fan beileving this could be a record setting campaign. A team capable of flirting with history. Now we’re going to just be happy to finish top three in the west? What the hell happened?
Next: A Second Act Reversal
I know, I know. I sound like a bitter columnist who is merely stirring the pot because the team he follows has failed to live up to the hype. But the truth is, as a fan, I still have a huge amount of faith in this squad.
There is something to said for talent and experience. The Lakers have both in spades
Until they get knocked off these are still the defending champions of the NBA. They still have unmatched skill and length along the front line to pair with the best closer on the planet. They have the best coach in the history of professional basketball. And yes, let’s face it, some pretty awesome fans.
For as jagged and mercurial as the Lakers have looked so far this year the fact remains there are still two acts remaining in this NBA season and the history books are far from written. Top seed or bottom it won’t matter where they Lakers are slotted if they come home with the hardware at the end of the day.
But the time for excuses is over. The second act starts now and along with it a march towards the title. The only question is, will it turn out to be a championship parade or a funeral procession?
My hope is it goes something like this:
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiX2Qppj5yQ