As we enter the second half of the 2010-2011 NBA season not many Laker fans expected the back to back defending champions to be in third place in the Western Conference and losing numerous games to sub-par competition. Is it time to hit the panic button? Should we revamp a roster that was considered at the beginning of the season as the best Laker team ever assembled? How can we explain a record of 1-6 against the top five teams in the NBA?
For much of the season unexplainable losses to below average teams have been written off as simply being the regular season. Come playoff time will the Lakers turn it on and get back to championship form. That excuse has become less believable with continued lapses from the defending champs.
Every game and every team will give the Lakers their best shot, as if it was their Game 7 in the NBA Finals, and that is to be expected; it comes with the territory with chasing a three-peat.
With all the turmoil, criticism, and questions of this years Laker team championship caliber will truly be questioned. Can this group of individuals muster the energy and motivation to place them in NBA lore by becoming only the 6th team to ever achieve a three-peat and the third time the Lakers organization would accomplish that feat.
Next Upcoming Schedule
Let’s take a look at the second half of the season before the playoffs begin and see what the road ahead holds. There are 25 games remaining on the schedule; 14 will be at Staples and 11 will be on the road. So that is one positive thing for the Lakers, especially if they want to catch up to the Celtics and Heat for home court advantage in an eventual NBA Finals match-up (notice I have given up on catching up to the Spurs, it is just not going to happen).
Taking a closer look at the remaining 25 games, only seven of those games will feature teams with losing records; therefore it will not be an easy stretch for the purple and gold from here on out. Tough match-ups might be a blessing in disguise because it might get the Lakers playing up to their competition and ready for playoff basketball.
Although the Lakers have more home games for the remainder of the season they will face a rough stretch of road games beginning March 6th when they take on the San Antonio Spurs, followed by the Atlanta Hawks, Heat, and ending in Dallas as they visit the Mavericks on March 12th.
In a perfect world the Lakers would go 4-0, and that is definitely a possibility, but as we near the end of the regular season these games become much more meaningful and racking up the W’s becomes even more crucial. The Lakers will return home and face Dwight Howard on March 14th as they will try to avenge their loss in Orlando. That will begin a seven game home stand for the Lakers.
Next Guess Who is Back?
What do we have to look forward to in the second half of the season in terms of individual players? Well, Matt Barnes is back in practice mode and should be back in action as soon as next week. This is going to be a great boost for Phil Jackson and company because Barnes brings physicality, toughness and a defensive presence that is unmatched.
Having Matt Barnes on the bench and re-united with the Killer B’s might be the thing to spark the bench mob to be a force to be reckoned with. With the addition of another guard/forward it will give Phil Jackson more weapons and flexibility.
Barnes, who was not a part of the previous two titles might be instrumental to prevent the Lakers from being complacent.
Unfortunately, Theo Ratliff has had some setbacks and his return is questionable as he might miss the remainder of the season.
Although the Lakers ended the first half of the season with an embarrassing loss to the Cavs; Kobe Bryant definitely shined brighter than any other player in Sunday’s All-Star game and was rewarded with his fourth All-Star MVP Award in front of his home crowd.
That fire and determination we saw from the Black Mamba in the All-Star Game will carry on to this final stretch because it is crucial the Lakers enter the playoffs confident and clicking on all cylinders.
Next All or Nothing
As fans we can only pray for the players to stay healthy down the stretch. As for everything else the Lakers need to enter games energetic because they cannot afford to fall in the standings. It is time to pay attention to detail because from here on out it is going to be a fight.
There is no margin for error, especially when every other team in the NBA is trying to dethrone the Lakers. Regardless of the wins and losses, the Lakers are still the champs, and all of Lakers Nation expects that to be the case at the end of the season.