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Long summer for the Lakers. What will happen?

It's going to be a long summer for the Lakers, who were just decimated with injuries for most of the 2012-2013 season. There will also be a lot of questions that will have to be answered. Will Dwight stay or go? Will Gasol find himself with a different jersey on? Will the Lakers amnesty someone in order to free up some money? Will the bench look different next season? Only time will tell, and this summer will certainly be an interesting one for the purple and gold.

As you know, the Lakers looked stacked at the beginning of the season. On paper, it seemed like it was the team to beat. They had signed a PG in Steve Nash who's been one of the best in the NBA, but past his prime. The question was, could he sustain another full NBA season? The big news though was signing Dwight Howard who was being looked upon as being one of the great Laker centers down the road. Even though everyone knew he was coming off serious back surgery, that he would return to form somewhere down the line. Then you have the bench, in which Jamison and Meeks were brought in to provide some scoring. Everything looked good from a team perspective, but everyone knows that chemistry plays a big part in a team succeeding.

The team had a rocky start to the season and coach Mike Brown was fired 5 games in. It was a little premature to my taste as I thought he deserved at least 10-15 games before making an assumption. Here in LA, if you don't meet expectations, even with the fans, people will start to question you. The Lakers made a choice and Mike D'Antoni was brought in. It was quite surprising that the Lakers chose him over Phil Jackson, but I could see where the logic in why the Lakers brought D'Antoni in. He was familiar with Nash, and with Nash at PG, they thought they could replicate what they did in Phoenix. Well as we all know, it didn't end up being that way. The season had a lot of downs, but the Lakers pulled it together in the end to make the playoffs. It did have one big consequence. With all the minutes Bryant was playing, willing the team to make the playoffs, Bryant tore his achilles and was out for the remainder of the season. It was a big blow that the Lakers just could not recover from.

Without Bryant, and with injuries to almost half the team (Nash, Blake, Meeks, World Peace) it was just too much for the Lakers to take on. Also take into fact that Gasol was still being bothered by his foot. The veteran savvy San Antonio Spurs took out the depleted Lakers in 4 games. Mitch certainly has his work cut out for him since Howard is a free agent, and they don't know if Gasol will return. Of course, Bryant has made it known that he still wants the core back. In reality, the Lakers will have to get younger and more athletic. The big question is will Howard stay in Los Angeles? No one knows as of yet, as he said he needs some time to think about things and get away from basketball for awhile. If Howard does leave, that would leave LA a huge gap at center and a defensive presence. It wouldn't be all bad in that scenario because then LA would have money to spend. The bench will probably see some players come and go. The Lakers always find a way to reload, not rebuild. We'll just have to wait and see what decisions are made with this team going forward.

Lakers on the brink of elimination

Coming into this game, no one ever thought that the Lakers backcourt would consist of D-league player Andrew Goudelock and second year guard Darrius Morris to start game three of the 2013 NBA playoffs. Their names aren't household names, but this gave them the opportunity to get recognized if they could somehow do the impossible and contribute big time to the Lakers. They both did a great job with Goudelock scoring 20pts and Morris with 24pts. You really couldn't ask too much of those guys. Howard, who has been a double-double machine and had another one with 25pts and 11rbs. Gasol who's elevated his game of late had another triple-double with 11pts, 11rbs, 13ast. He's certainly returned to Gasol of old and deserves a lot  of credit doing the things the Lakers needed him to do with their leader (Bryant) out.

Despite have a good game from their starters, the Lakers bench was woeful, combining for a total of 9pts. That is where the Lakers have struggled most of this season. Their bench just has not been consistent enough. Jamison, who had 5pts, was their leading scorer off the bench. That will certainly not get it done. The Spurs bench however exploded for 49pts. They're just overwhelming the injury plagued Lakers with a deep bench. The combo of Duncan and Parker combined for 46pts, while their bench solidified the lead through most of the game. There's not much the Lakers can do, since about half the team is sidelined due to injury. A healthy Spurs team is just too much for them.

It has been a season of frustration for the Lakers and it's fans. Certainly not one to remember. The only thing the Lakers can do for game 4 on Sunday is to play hard and see where it leads them. Down 0-3 in the series, no one is expecting them to win another game and get swept out of the playoffs. It won't get any easier since Metta World Peace is probably out for tomorrow's game due to his knee. Seems like everywhere you turn a Laker is injured. Clark is a probable starter if Metta is indeed out, with Ebanks most likely backing him up. One thing is for sure, this season is definitely one of those you just never look back at.

Can the Lakers come back from an 0-2 deficit against the Spurs?

In a season that has been riddled with injuries, it got even worse for the LA Lakers as they will probably play without Blake (hamstring), Nash (leg,back), Meeks (ankle) tomorrow at Staples for game 3 of the playoff series against the Spurs. It's unfathomable that these many injuries can happen to a team in one season. Without Bryant, the Lakers offense has become stagnant at times without someone to break down the defense off the dribble and draw in defenders. Blake has played sensational as of late but is out indefinitely due to a hamstring injury suffered in yesterdays playoff game. His teammates had to help him off the court once the game ended.

Howard has looked good on the defense end, but he can't carry the entire team on defense the whole game. He's done his part, but the rest of the squad hasn't. Defense hasn't been the strong suit of the Lakers, and its showing. The Spurs just simply look dominate out on the floor. Even with Parker and Ginobili not being 100% , they still contribute in a big way. Can the Lakers come back from an 0-2 deficit against the Spurs? The answer is, it all depends on the Laker bigs and the rest of the injury free players. Hill played yesterday, but very limited minutes after he has been sidelined for most of the season due to hip surgery.

If Howard is to be the future franchise player of the Lakers, he has to put the Lakers on his back tomorrow. Even if the Lakers are outmatched due to their injuries, Howard must take it upon himself to play gutsy. If the Lakers are going to go down, they have to go down fighting. Howard must show he can carry a franchise on his back. Tomorrow's game will definitely tell a lot about the resiliency of the Lakers and how much fight is left in them.

Lakers win in overtime thriller against Houston, clinch 7th seed

Yesterday we would find out what the Lakers fate would be. Whether or not they would make the playoffs all depended on the outcome of the Utah Jazz game. Earlier just before tip-off, the Jazz had lost in Memphis against the Grizzlies. That meant that the Lakers had clinched a playoff birth and were in the 8th seed. With a Lakers win against Houston in Staples, they would just one game up and get into the 7th seed. The Lakers certainly showed character and pulled off a hard fight thrilling win in overtime at Staples Center last night 99-95.

In a season that has been hobbled by injuries, to be in a position where the Lakers are in, is simply remarkable. The players did not quit and closed out the season on a positive note. In the last week, Gasol has played like the Gasol of old. He had another triple-double last night pouring in 17pts, 20rbs, and 11ast. He's by far been LA's best player in recent games. Howard had another double-double with 16pts and 18rbs. The two bigs have certainly gotten the job done. Without Nash, the Lakers have had to count on Steve Blake and he's not disappointed one bit. In fact, this is probably his best season yet with the Lakers. Blake dropped 24pts last night. Jamison was the leading scorer off the Lakers bench with 16pts. At the end, the Lakers defense just locked it down and Houston settled for mostly jump shots due to the presence of Howard down low.

The real season begins on Sunday in game 1 of the NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs. It should definitely be a battle. If the Lakers can somehow contain Parker and Duncan, they have a shot at beating the Spurs. Its going to take a lot of focus and effort on both ends. We'll see how the Lakers do in this series.

Howard, Blake lead Lakers past Spurs

It was eerie not seeing Kobe Bryant on the floor in an important game. As we all know, Bryant is done for the season. It was up to his teammates to carry the load, especially against an elite team like the Spurs. They certainly did that last night. Howard took it upon his shoulders to play at a high level contributing 26pts and 17rbs. It was a very dominate double-double. A surprising second Laker that contributed big time was Steve Blake who poured in 23pts. Jamison was the the leading scorer off the bench.

It wasn't the offense that won the game for the Lakers. It was their defense that locked down on San Antonio. The only player that played well for the Spurs was Duncan, who had a double-double with 23pts and 10rbs. It's been rare all season that the Lakers played well defensively through all four quarters. The Lakers must even take it on a higher level if they do indeed make the playoffs. The Lakers are on the cusp of making the 8th seed if Utah losses tonight, or if the Lakers win their last game on Wednesday against Houston.

Bryant carries the load and the victory over the Blazers

In was another must win situation for the Lakers to get into the final playoff spot. Kobe Bryant just about willed the team to a victory. His performance was nothing short of spectacular. It also forced him to play just about the entire game, which is a little troublesome. With 17 years in the league, and 34 yrs of age, Kobe reminds us that he's still one of the elite players in the game today. But at what cost? He's playing ridiculous minutes and quite frankly it could catch up to him later on if the Lakers do indeed make the playoffs. At some point, the coach (D'Antoni) has to give him rest. Of course, as stubborn as Kobe is, he doesn't want to rest and would rather play the entire game. But this is where D'Antoni should step in and say something. Instead, he lets Kobe almost literally exhaust himself out there. Nonetheless, Kobe drops 47pts on the Blazers to lead the Lakers to a 113-106 win.

Pau Gasol definitely deserves a lot of credit as well. He has been playing great lately and the combination of him and Bryant are propelling this team to wins. Gasol ended up with 23pts and Howard with a double-double 20pts and 10rbs. Blake, who has had his best season as a Lakers so far, was instrumental in the victory grabbing key rebounds. The Lakers will now return home and finish off the season with 3 home games, but all against tough opponents in Golden State, San Antonio and Houston. The Lakers control their own destiny. Win all 3, and they are in the playoffs. Let's hope they can do it. 

Lakers playoffs hopes still alive

With the win last night over the Hornets (Pelicans), the Lakers playoffs hopes are still alive as they climb back into the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Three of the Lakers starters were in double figures (Bryant, Gasol, Howard). Bryant ended up with 30pts, Gasol with 22pts, and Howard with 19pts. The team knows that every game is a must win situation. The formula is simple really. Win all of the remaining games and no matter what Utah does, the Lakers will be in the playoffs. Of course, it's easier said than done, but if the Lakers can win tonight, I believe that they can win the rest.

With just 4 games remaining, they can probably afford to lose 1, but that in itself can be troublesome if Utah wins all of its games. So, the safest bet is to win all of them. The Lakers' task is much more difficult because tonight they are in Portland where they don't play well at all. You can bet Portland will be up for the Lakers and do everything they can to knock them out of the playoff hunt. The remaining schedule is difficult, but they do play all of their games at home against Golden State, San Antonio, and Houston. Question is, will the Lakers find the will to win?