When Nash Stays Healthy, Lakers Are Tough

Staples Center was packed Tuesday afternoon, a sellout capacity crowd in attendance to watch their beloved Lakers encounter the red hot Knicks -- who were by far LA's toughest opponent this season. One of the surest things is that the Los Angeles Lakers can in fact beat a top-notched team, as fans can suddenly stop panicking and remain every bit optimistic about a storied franchise.

And while Mike D'Antoni's Lakers were, well, lethargic, disengaged and soft, to one's understanding, D'Antoni used flimsy excuses. And maybe he was right. With the return of Steve Nash, the Lakers have improved -- faster and more potent with him on the floor as their trusty point guard. The Lakers, who have been looking for solutions and ways to dismiss woes and mediocrity, cannot win a 17th NBA title without Nash.

It's just seemingly implausible, and Nash has been called on to salvage the Lakers season before matters become worse. The Lakers, when Nash is on the floor, are more efficient and everybody knows their role it seems. For as long as we've known D'Antoni, he's needed this guy by his side, he's counted on Nash and he has run and executed his offense brilliantly. With Nash, D'Antoni has a .734 career win percentage in games. Without him, he has a .387 win percentage.

OK, it's only one tough opponent they played against when it comes to teams over .500. OK, Kobe Bryant had an efficient 34 point on 14-for-24 shooting effort against the Knicks. OK, fine, Pau Gasol finally played with heart and toughness, dishing out six assists and swooping down to the rim finishing with an empathic submarine-dunk in the final seconds for the game-clinching point. OK, Metta World Peace scored 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting off the bench, while involved in a heavyweight-wrestling match with Carmelo Anthony.

But with Nash back running the offense, the Lakers are still hopeful they can bring home a championship. After the Lakers beat the Knicks 100-94 on Christmas Day for their fifth straight win, it was heard loud and clear, it gave fans something to smile and cheer about. Entering this game, the Lakers lost three consecutive times on Dec. 25, making it anything but jolly for Bryant. Thank goodness for Nash. This time around, Mr. Grinch didn't steal Christmas from the Lakers. This time around, it was holiday redemption and the Lakers avenged their loss against the Knicks, cooling down the hottest team in the league.

For Nash, the holiday season is about giving, averaging 20 assists in his first two games since the comeback. By all rights, the Lakers should still be a heavy playoff favorite, after making a loud statement. It's now time for fans to breathe a sigh of relief, now time to feel good about something, realizing this team is built with talent and a bevy of stars who can make a playoff run based on experience and athleticism.

Fortunately for the Lakers, who were quiescent and lifeless without Nash, the time couldn't be better for his return, with the Knicks arriving for a holiday matinee and a rematch after annihilating L.A. at Madison Square Garden two weeks ago. Nash welcomed swarms of reporters, he stood there by his locker, waiting patiently to be interrogated and responded softly. In the age of NBA guards and anybody with ball-handling skills to run the floor and distribute the ball, the Lakers have been missing a critical piece on offense. If the Lakers desire winning a championship in June, then Nash must be a key component, and indeed he fits in D'Antoni's system.

Nash, by the way, directed D'Antoni's up-tempo offense for four seasons with the Phoenix Suns, and so with his familiarity and ability to facilitate and get up and down the floor, he's definitely the Lakers' way out of trouble. The Lakers, once embarrassed and frustrated, has to certainly feel more confident and glad he's back in the starting five. These Lakers, remember, were struggling and falling to substandard opponents, drawing criticism and doubts from fans. These Lakers, remember, are led by Kobe Bryant, who is well past his prime and has taken way too many shots, not realizing age has finally caught up with him.

It wasn't working without Nash, and now that he's back, the Lakers have a legitimate shot. It can't be ignored when Nash is on the floor distributing the ball, making his teammates better, setting up open looks and creating in transition. It can't be ignored when Nash is delivering passes inside the paint, playing like an ageless point guard and orchestrating a system and new offense created by someone who is identified as an offensive guru.

There is no better way to look at it, but realistically Nash is maybe the most important player on the Lakers, and it really was evident once sidelined 24 games because of his fractured left leg. Not surprisingly, the Lakers are 2-0 with Nash in the lineup, one of the most creative and finest playmakers in the game. For those who have watched Nash for years, he puts everything in perspective and keeps everyone compose, and because of it, the offense flows and feeds on his energy and ability to create in transition. I know, I know, Nash made it possible for the Lakers, controlling the final minutes of the Christmas Day masterpiece, on a day Bryant surpassed Oscar Robertson to become the all-time scoring leader in Christmas Day games.

The matchup of the leagues top two scorers was more of the focus at the beginning, with Bryant and Anthony putting on a show, making thrilling shots and dropping 34 points each. After Bryant and Anthony were done with a thrilling shot-making contest, under six minutes left to play in the fourth, it quickly became Nash's team. As time dwindled down, Nash assisted and or scored on 12 of the Lakers' last 15 points. It was dramatic closing minutes, with Bryant hitting a jump shot and with Dwight Howard enticing the crowd following a dunk. Late in the game, Nash made a few jumpers that were critical and then Gasol was awarded free throws on a pass from Nash.

Since he's come back, the Lakers are the team to beat, from what it seems. Turns out, Nash is the perfect Christmas gift.

There is legitimacy on this Lakers team, and since everybody is touching the ball with Nash back, they are more cohesive and are playing smarter and faster.

There are championship aspirations, after all.

It came on Christmas Day, an ultimate Xmas gift.

Rebuilding Lakers Means Fire Sale Now

Broken! Soft! Tempestuous! Beaten! Strangely atrocious! This pretty much sums how bad the playoffs were for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are now on their way home early for the second straight season following an exasperating and embarrassing 106-90 Game 5 loss Monday night to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, dispatching Los Angeles in the second round.

This is the second straight season of disappointments and woes, another somber moment after the Lakers were eliminated in the NBA postseason, pointing to signs of drastic changes needed. If the Lakers want to stay in contention each season, it's now time for an overhaul, extensive rebuilding to surround a discontented Kobe Bryant with fresher and younger legs. It's now time to move into another direction, to please the superstar guard before we might hear him request a trade out of Los Angeles.

Threats of Kobe leaving the Lakers can come at any moment now. The state of the Lakers franchise remains uncertain, another riddle to figure out in what should be an interesting offseason for a regal franchise, known for winning championships and raising banners into the rafters at Staples Center.

As for Pau Gasol, the Lakers tall, lanky forward from Spain, he is likely to be traded this summer after the brief postseason run, so the team will listen to offers. Gasol, a soft, spongy ballplayer when he can't hustle, grab rebounds and dictate the flow of the game under the basket with a post presence that no one has seen from him much in the playoffs, wasn't a dependable player and Bryant couldn't rely on him to be a second-scoring option.

The Lakers have a pair of largely gifted seven-footers the tallest front court in the NBA, but nonetheless failed to control the boards and close off the lane. The two were bullied by the Thunder, and so were the rest of the team other than Bryant, who refused to quit, despite trailing in the second half of Monday's elimination game. In some ways the Lakers have the best-worst team in the NBA, simply because they have the greatest superstar of this generation but have the most underachieving core of players alongside the Black Mamba, a team captain who hate to lose, hate to come up short of winning an NBA championship.

Kobe was not pleased with his teammates, nor the Lakers executives -- once again devoid of what he plays for, an honorable trophy each season. Bynum was supposed to be a reliable center, and more importantly, all grown up since he was given a five-game suspension for his dirty, thug-like hit on J.J. Barea in the Lakers' Game 4 loss to Dallas of the semifinals a year ago -- he's immature and apathetic after all -- but can become the most dominant center since Shaquille O'Neal. It's the darkest moment, equivalent to an episode of the Twilight Zone. After a wonderful dynasty early in the 21st century, now with a weakened and withered bench, an older core of players incapable of keeping up with the youth and emergence of faster players fitted to run a long marathon, the Lakers have to retool again.

If the Lakers take account of a rebuilding project, they could then again win more titles. But until then, the Lakers won't deliver the goods with their current roster. And now, with an abrupt ending to the Lakers' erratic season, Mike Brown's job status is mired in jeopardy. There's not much happiness in Lakersland. The storyline, after a miserable loss that extended this Lakers demise, is that Bryant is unhappy with the state of the franchise and the personnel decisions of Lakers vice executive Jim Buss. It is almost staggering that Gasol and Bynum went for a combined 2-for-11 and poured in seven points in the second half of an elimination game.

The newly minted executive, who is the son of owner Jerry Buss, finally had a wake up call, and now it's his responsible to make dramatic changes to make certain the Lakers return to usual form. All this season, the Lakers won based on finesse and experience, not youth, speed or hungriness. All this season, the Lakers won because of Kobe Bryant, and with the exception of Gasol and Bynum, it cut their season short. It's well-documented Bryant is here for the long term, obviously, but the rest of the team is called into question.

With all due respect, Magic Johnson, who had a contentious opinion regarding Brown, is not alone. There's already been much conversation on whether Brown will salvage his job for another season, all because he brought in a blue-collar defensive system and deserve credit for his acumen to emphasize a strong effort defensively. But, of late, the Lakers never committed to defense, and Russell Westbrook single-handedly dismantled the Lakers. It wouldn't be surprising if Buss fires Brown, especially when he and general manager Mitch Kupchak can now phone Stan Van Gundy about the coaching job here in Los Angeles.

The worst is, it has been painful to watch the Lakers in the midst of a crisis, one that requires an extreme Hollywood makeover. Sending off Bynum to New Jersey for Deron Williams and Brook Lopez would be a good way to rebuild in the City of Angels -- or even sending the seven-foot center who selfishly is apathetic and doesn't care where he plays next season -- he may wind up in Orlando for Dwight Howard. Bynum, a pouty brat who was benched, sarcastically shot well out of his range, cried, played selfishly and laughed after a disgraceful loss, can be dealt over the summer for good value.

There's no doubt he needs to grow up on a team where his act of petulance and immaturity are problems for a franchise on a mission to amass championships, which traditionally the Lakers have done so well. If no one else knows, Bryant can admittedly tell us how incompetent and useless his current roster is collectively. At this point of Bryant's career, he's tired, mentally and physically burned out when all of this is on him. If they lose, he's the scapegoat. If they lose, he's the one to blame, for either being too selfish or too unselfish, for either being a facilitator or ball hog. Damned if he does. Damned if he doesn't. The hope is that the Lakers can eventually rebuild the current roster with blockbuster trades and signings to put them into championship mode.

Then, once it's all said and done, the Lakers can redefine themselves. There are a number of things -- if they can go back in time -- that the Lakers as a whole would handle differently, like choosing to hire Brian Shaw, which was Bryant's preferred favorite. The realization of the Lamar Odom trade spelled absolute doom, sending him to Dallas, a team that wiped the Lakers out of the postseason. And certainly, they slowly diminished without his services, trading him essentially for nothing in return, for which Bryant was furious and puzzled on what the future held following the deal that was unorthodox. A year ago, Dallas swept these Lakers in the semifinals.

This year, nothing changed, except they managed to win at least one game versus Oklahoma City but went home in five games. The Lakers, I fear, are in a world of trouble until they figure it out. It's not about the lost of the greatest coach of all time, Phil Jackson. It's not about Metta World Peace as the most reliable player Kobe can trust or even his state of mind. It's not about the Odom trade. It's about the Lakers reverting to winners. There were no real surprises, ever since a near-successful trade that would have sent Gasol and Odom to New Orleans for Chris Paul was vetoed.

While there were Rajon Rondo rumors across L.A. with speculations of Howard coming to the Lakers following their early season struggles in the first couple of months, they had to play with what they had, they were so erratic and then traded Derek Fisher, the veteran point guard who led them to five NBA championships. It is clear the Lakers are basketball royalty, and anything less than a championship is a failure. But after the game, after suffering a beatdown for the second straight season that created a soap opera, it was an eye-opener for one of the big-time sports franchises -- among them -- the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Cubs, Green Bay Packers, Duke and Notre Dame.

We didn't know it was going to be like this, when the Lakers traded for Ramon Sessions hoping to reduce their weakest area, trying to get faster, younger and more athletic but Westbrook was still too quick and lethal. It's telling, though, that the Lakers need more than just Sessions.

It wouldn't be surprising for the Lakers to pursue a local player in Brandon Jennings, a big-name free agent this summer. It wouldn't be surprising for them to release Brown and replace him with Jerry Sloan, Van Gundy or Shaw. This summer will be interesting, for sure, as the Lakers need to do whatever it takes to reestablish a lost personality.

Lakers Can’t Find True Identity From LBJ-Kobe Duel

The audience erupted in roars, primal screams that rattled the arena in South Beach and, when all the folks were seen in seas of black cheering on LeBron James, it was obvious he suddenly was the rising star on this night. It’s a glaring notion that we are witnesses of two megastars that occupy our own consciousness as we are brainwashed by those Nike advertisements.


If he wants to settle an overexposed debate, in the meantime, Kobe Bryant must outscore James in a star-studded duel, but he’s not focused on outshining his nemesis and too busy promoting the Kobesystem, another illuminati commercial to endorse his product. Unfortunately, nothing ever comes easy for Bryant, who finds himself in a debate even though he owns five rings – more than the average player in this generation. He’s not, however, the most likable player as some disbelievers prefer to applaud James when he give up his claim to all-time greatness, crowning him prematurely as if he wears a ring.

So now what? It was a hideous shooting night for Bryant, and then the Kobe Lakeshow wasn’t on its regularly scheduled program or never aired in Miami, where James grabbed all the attention and showboated as usual, settling for 31 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, four steals and three blocks to dominate the Lakers single-handedly. Maybe he doesn’t show it by his facial expressions – but he still, in his heart, hates losing to James.

The Lakers and Heat meeting in the NBA Finals?

It’s a possibility, a large possibility.

As much as the Lakers often lose to the Heat, Bryant normally becomes frustrated or petulant following a disappointing letdown on the national stage that centers two megastars, maybe even the greatest NBA entertainers in such a captivating show business – and cannot ever beat James to mute an endless Kobe vs. LeBron discussion. This 98-87 anticlimax on Thursday was a sign that the Lakers are still a work in progress, not equipped to strive for another title, seeking for an identity with new head coach Mike Brown and younger role players.

The evolution of this team couldn’t have been more than dire straits when the Lakers had no ferocity, no mental toughness, no heart or fight to slow down James. The night revolved around James, and there he was, flying past everyone in gold uniforms, while fighting flu-like symptoms. It means we’re seeing a sudden rise in James’ performance, putting on a show for fans in Miami and outplaying his childhood idol in every meeting to cap an NBA masterpiece almost like no other. It also means, on the flip side of things, that the Lakers are NOT competent or moxie to battle for the gleaming hardware, with many flaws to still fix within a fluctuant offense.

This promises to be an excruciating marathon of the Lakers’ erratic season, when the front office can relieve a tremendous amount of pressure off Bryant by trading Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace in exchange for Dwight Howard as the team can use another star player hungry enough and willing to team up with the Black Mamba and meet the challenge for the run at a title. It took an embarrassing loss to the Heat for the Lakers to determine certainly that their offense is inconsistent, weakened and soft.

It’s one thing to assume the Lakers are vehement, potent and built with the most talent in the NBA, which we began to discover weak spots as now would be a good time for resurrecting the frailty within a languid offense. But it’s another to witness them relapse already in such a young season because of injuries or either softness, to see a noteworthy pro basketball team in shambles that has become the hottest storyline.

The ending to this horror night in South Beach, where life for the Lakers turned pitch black as the weather forecast near the shores of Biscayne Bay called for strong winds from a wicked tropical storm, was frightful and painful as Kobe and his ineffective troops descended. That dreaded storm was James and the Heat. It’s usually a tough pill to swallow for Bryant, even more so when he loses to James over and over, unable to survive in a one-on-one duel as both players clash at center court, only to present an entertaining display on the NBA floor.

It hasn’t taken much to understand that Kobe and LeBron are the social fabric of basketball, an integral part of the economic and popularity in a growing enterprise, given that the NBA market is selling jerseys and tickets at most venues. It’s now easy to take in that James, in retrospect, doesn’t want to just fit in as an NBA star but also has the ambition to be a world-class athlete globally and market himself as an entrepreneur. Everyone knows when James and Bryant squares off — two of the NBA’s greatest — James always has the edge as his nemesis rashly backs down from the challenge, and so he continuously beats Bryant.

The Heat, for example, intimidated and terrified the Lakers to give us a clue on what they’ll be like the next few months, plainly not built for a championship run, suffering to make baskets and tighten up on defense, a number of troubles that has defaced L.A. for a long time. It’s almost foreshadowing to think that the Lakers are in a heap of trouble with this current roster, and refuse to entertain trade offers for Howard or another star player.

This was the moment for the Lakers to walk away with a victory against a championship-built team that was missing top guard Dwyane Wade because of an ankle injury. This was the moment for the Lakers to win without a healthy Miami Thrice unit on the floor that would have definitely presented more problems. It’s never good to see Chris Bosh, the tall, lanky inconsistent forward, cobbler the softest giant Andrew Bynum, who was blocked by James late in the game.

It’s never good to see James stealing a pass from Fisher, and running off in transition for a slam dunk that capped a 31-point performance. At the end of the game, Gasol rendered his emotions, covering his eyes and leaving the floor speechless. It’s apparent that a disconcerted Derek Fisher, sitting with two bags of ice on each knee while soaking his feet in a bucket after the game, is aging and closing in on his retirement to call it an accomplished career.

It’s apparent that Bryant is alone in acting as the aggressor and facilitator that provides not even enough energy or firmness to dominate at a high. The temptation to increasingly step up the intensity hasn’t been seen from the Lakers, a disengaged team with apathy and lethargy, struggling to find ways to win on the road where they are 1-5. If they have every desire to play for a championship, the Lakers must win in other territories and defeat decisive contenders, without losing to teams such as Chicago, Miami or the L.A. Clippers.

And so, as of now, the struggles continue.

Lakers Fail to Give Fans Holiday Cheer

As a flurry of games were on the slate to begin the NBA season on Christmas Day, ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the city, die-hard, cheery fans were excited and the streets were quite festive near Staples Center – the house that Kobe built.

The lights were bright in the building for the city’s regularly scheduled program, and the Kobe Lakeshow absorbed much publicity from a torn ligament in Kobe Bryant’s right wrist that would require the star guard to undergo surgery, but he opted to play through the injury. The fans awaited the season opener, though the Los Angeles Lakers were hit by misfortunes.

The truth is, however, the Lakers need an instrumental piece. Primarily because the Lakers are on a mission to contend for another title, and yet again raise another championship banner to the rafters at Staples Center.

Considering that the Lakers are a long ways from returning to prominence without a reliable star that could fittingly play alongside Bryant, only validates what direction the franchise is headed.

But here’s hoping the Lakers aren’t in ruins, especially when dumbfounded Jim Buss, the man responsible for dismantling a championship-caliber team, says the Lakers have the pieces to be crowned world champions – without trading for Dwight Howard or after sending Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for nothing and a trade exception from a dizzying turning point of recent events.

Known as the Slam Dunk King early in his career, one of the most decorated players of his generation, Bryant is definitely the star of the Lakers as the burdens lie heavily on his shoulders.

The fact is, it seems he and his team are getting older, slower and more sluggish, incapable of playing a full 48 minutes without showing signs of tiredness in the first game of a shortened 66-game season.

So what we have is a pro basketball franchise harder to understand than a jigsaw puzzle, equivalent to the mystic of connecting dots on dot-to-dot puzzles, the team of all riddles that have the Lakers in much uncertainty.

If I were the Buss Family about now, I’d be propounding a deal that sends Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to Orlando in exchange for Howard. The expiration date on the Lakers' triumphant days are on the verge of a gloomy ending to what was a glamorous Hollywood script. But now the Lakers are a melting mess, all while they are close to returning to playoff form if they acquire a fixture and get rid of soft and feeble-minded players.

As he settled for 28 points, despite his eight turnovers from his poor ball-handling -- in a grueling, nail-biting, tight, heartbreaking 88-87 loss to the Chicago Bulls – Bryant’s scoring masterpiece wasn’t enough. The game never had a dull moment, and Bryant never slowed down.

Not once in the game did he grimace in pain, not once was he weary. As seen so often, watching the Kobe Lakeshow under the bright lights in Hollywood, the Lakers heard swish after the swish, and Bryant was the hottest shooter on the floor.

For Bryant, a five-time world champion, a future Hall of Famer, he drove right, drew three defenders and had his shot blocked by Luol Deng. The ending was so heart-shattering, so gut-wrenching that the game’s best closer boldly attacked the rim and tried to finish on a game-winning layup.

But while he was double teamed near mid-court after an inbounds pass and after trying to distribute the ball, generally a play the Lakers execute brilliantly, Deng was pesky and stepped in the way of an errant pass.

It was a pass intended for Gasol, a play created to score easily in the paint, but Deng stole the ball and delivered it to Derrick Rose that set up the game-winner.

The moment finally arrived that Rose drove the lane and heaved a floating shot, scoring 22 points and helping the Bulls rally from an 11-point deficit late in the fourth quarter.

You can say the Lakers gave this one away. You can say they blew it. You can say, yet they lost it in the final minutes, that the Lakers are a team to be reckoned with, but only a fool would believe they are dominant.

The reality is, after losing in the closing minutes and blowing a lead, the Lakers have no fighting chance, committing costly mistakes and missing half of their jump shots. The fact that Kobe is surrounded by players with many personalities plays a critical role as well.

Looking more like a confused nut -- especially if you change your birth name to some peculiar name – Metta World Peace has a few marbles missing in his brain cells, he can’t shoot the ball effectively and is expendable for the $22 million price tag remaining on his deal over the next three years. It’s time, it really is, that we come to our senses and understand that Gasol is soft, maybe even the softest player in the league.

For the presence of Steve Blake, he has bricked more threes than he has made them. Matt Barnes doesn’t have that firepower or mental toughness he once had when he played in Orlando. Where it stands with Derek Fisher is that he’s not quick enough to keep pace with the younger and speedy legs as an aging point guard. Without Odom, the Lakers are weaker, missing arguably the best sixth man in the NBA.

At the age 33, Bryant is still the Lakers superstar, as painful as it is to perform efficiently with an injured right wrist. But the Lakers gave away a game they could have won, losing to the vintage Bulls. The Lakers, wearing their Sunday white jerseys and playing in front of a national audience, squandered an opportunity to prevail on center stage and appease L.A. sports fans.

The dreaded lockout is over, at last, and folks in town witnessed the No. 1 pro franchise in Los Angeles. This was supposed to be the prefect Christmas gift, but more than anything it was a heartbreaker. It was as if Mr. Grinch had stolen Christmas from the Lakers, as if Old St. Nick had marked them on his naughty list, as if you were reading a Charles Dickens tale.

It’s quite easy to figure out where the Lakers stand at this point, blowing an 11-point lead that eclipsed new head coach Mike Brown's debut and crushed the team's momentum. Among all things, the Lakers would miss free throws, commit clumsy turnovers and fouls with a few blown defensive assignments.

After all, it was never pretty. The Lakers never played well. They played much like no one expected, because of all their disadvantages on a Sunday afternoon at home.

What a stunning turn of events at Staples Center, where a disillusioned sellout crowd left early. If the Lakers had handled business by reconfiguring a deal for Chris Paul, after the deal was hopeful two weeks ago that they had agreed to send Gasol to Houston and Odom to New Orleans in exchange for Paul until NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed the deal, Paul would have joined forces with Kobe and maybe even Howard to keep the franchise on top in the future.

The flirtation with Paul was the talk of the town, and now everyone is chatting about the final seconds of the first game that the Lakers gave away, after solely relying on Bryant and turning complacent and lackadaisical in critical moments.

The best player of this generation, if not on the planet – held the ball to take the final shot and clinch the game-winner, but he was shut down, trapped and smothered tightly.

The growth of the kids Devin Ebanks and Andrew Goudelock was impressive, a pair of young players shooting a combined six for eight. The inside presence of Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy was astonishing, two new players combining for 16 rebounds and three blocked shots.

But late in the game, as they were weary and lazy, the Lakers unraveled and lost touch. And then, Gasol and McRoberts each missed two free throws as the Bulls scored to cut the deficit to one.

If the Christmas Day opener told us something, it told us that the Lakers need to address any team flaws. It all starts by making one more move, which would be a trade for a quality star.

I hope it’s a New Year’s resolution.