Surprising Start for the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are Looking to Make a Difference in the West
Trade talks galore, criticized almost on a daily basis, the Los Angeles Lakers are showing signs of potential and teamwork.
We have all heard about the all rumors, the constant uncertainty and instability of the Los Angeles Lakers, but through all their struggles this offseason they are actually looking like a legitimate threat in the Western Conference after two big wins over playoff caliber teams in the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz in their first four games of the season.
Even with these big wins though, the questions are still looming and are a big distraction to say the least for the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA. Will Kobe Bryant be traded? Will Phil Jackson sign a contract extention? Can the Lakers keep playing good, consistent basketball? Is Andrew Bynum going to finally live up to the hype? When Lamar Odom comes back will the Lakers lose their new-found chemistry? Should rookie point guard Jarvis Crittenton be the starter over Derek Fisher?
With all of this going on at the same time, it is truly amazing the Lakers are playing as well as they are and without Lamar Odom. There true test will come next week when the Lakers face off against the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs November 13th, a rematch of their first game of the season (which was a nail bitter) on the 14th against Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets. On 16th they end their week against the always dangerous Detroit Pistons.
Needless to say, the Lakers definitely have their work cut out for them early in the season, but if Kobe Bryant really wants to see if his Lakers have a shot of contending for a title, he will have to go through these teams, even if it is all at once.
In fact, the challenge does not stop there for the Lakers as after their showdown with the Detroit Pistons on the 16th, they will have to go up against Kobe Bryant's most likely destination in the Chicago Bulls two days later in the Staples Center.
The best match up and by far the most anticipated this month for all Lakers fans - and NBA fans for that matter - will be on November 23rd when the take on the red hot, and I mean RED HOT Boston Celtics. So far, these guys look unbeatable with the new trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett running the show, they have already taken down two big Eastern Conference opponents in Gilbert Arenas' Washington Wizards, Chris Bosh and company in the Toronto Raptors and made the West's Denver Nuggets look like a high school team.
So make sure to set up your TiVo if you can't watch this one live, Kobe Bryant will be looking to make an example of the Celtics and they will be looking to do the same thing right back. After this match up of heavyweights is over, you just might have your answer on whether or not the Lakers are for real this season.
