So, with the Suns getting absolutely throttled by the Jazz right now, it looks like the Lakers are going to move within a game of first place in the division. This leads me to thinking as to whether or not we can actually win the division. At this moment, we're playing the 2nd best basketball out of anyone out West next to Portland. We've beaten the Suns twice already, as well as numerous other very good teams. To say the least, it honestly looks like the Lakers are finally maturing and are on the verge of potentially becoming one of the top teams out West again. Kobe might be having his best season ever, even if his stats are down from recent years. Odom is finally getting in to the swing of things. Bynum has looked like one of the top five centers in the league this year and is only getting better each game. Fisher has looked like an absolutely brilliant signing despite how critical I was. In general, the team is playing very, very good basketball and are actually working as a cohesive unit. Kobe isn't trying to take over each and every game and is finally showing trust in his teammates, and it's paying off. And quite frankly, that's why I eluded to this being Kobe's best season (MVP anyone?), even if his stats are down. His team is winning and he's finally found trust in others so he doesn't have to feel that he has to do everything himself. In all, this has all led to the Lakers being one of the biggest surprises of the year, and it's what has caused me to contemplate this. Can the Lakers win the Pacific for the first in the post-Shaq era? I really think they can. They're clicking on all cylinders, beating who they're supposed to as well as beating the more elite teams (Suns, Spurs, etc.). I don't see any reason as to why we, at the very least, can't win the Pacific and maybe even lock up a top 3 seed for the postseason. Thoughts anyone?
If Lakers can stay focused and healthy like this all year, We can go for a good 4th or 3rd in the west.
I wouldn't be surprise if the Lakers actually won the Pacific division they have been playing good and id we could keep this up we might actually be contenders. But lets not forget the Suns are the Suns and they always manage to make a comebak at the end so I wouldn't count the Suns out, just yet.
Things are looking good right now. If we can continue this type of play throughout the rest of the season, I really don't see why we wouldn't be able to win the Pacific. Like Bynumite said, the Suns are the Suns, and they can turn it on at any given moment. But so far this season, the Suns have not impressed me at all
It's going to be tough to beat the Suns for Pacific Division title. They lost last night badly, but they were without Nash, Marion and Grant Hill. The Suns haven't played well against the elite teams in the West, but there's still plenty of time for them to start clicking. Raja Bell is finally getting his health back and was shooting the lights out last night. Those injuries also gave opportunities to the bench players to get experience and build confidence. I don't like all the media attention the Lakers are getting. Last night Doug Collins said the Lakers are the best team in the West right now. That just puts a big target on us. I'd rather keep the element of surprise and continue to crush teams. February will be a ROUGH month for this team. Only 3 home games and some long ass trips on the road. It's going to be a real test for our young squad. Also don't sleep on the Warriors. Their schedule gets easier in the second half of the season and they're more than capable of going on a double digit win streak.
I don't know why Laker fans are worried about that road trip, we're not facing very many dominant teams. We're facing teams that we can easily blow out. Let's break it down: Toronto Washington New Jersey Atlanta Orlando Miami Charlotte Minnesota Every single game outside of the Orlando game should be a give me game. I don't see any of those teams standing much of a chance if we stay playing around this pace and with the chemistry we're playing with. Orlando isn't a great home team, so I think that gives us a bit of an advantage. I'm dying to see that Bynum/Howard matchup.
