Are The Lakers In Trouble?

source: ESPN.com

By Woody Liu

The Lakers may need another wake-up call, as if the 2-5 finish in the regular season wasn't already a slap in the face.  With the series tied at two games apiece, between the Lakers and the Hornets, the Lakers are clearly showing just how inconsistently a two-time defending championship team can play in the postseason.  Whether it is because of the 7-foot Spaniard's head stuck up in the clouds, or the lack of a defensive answer for the All-Star point guard Chris Paul, Lakers fans are definitely beginning to worry. 

      However, I still see the defending champs closing out this series with two straight victories and finding an extra day or two to rest before facing either Dallas or Portland.  Despite the bumps and bruises of Bynum (knee), and Bryant (ankle and foot), the Lakers are still the more talented team.  They proved their dominance in a balanced win in Game 3 with Bynum and Gasol each recording double-doubles, and with five Lakers scoring in double-digits.  Unfortunately, Pau went back to his soft ways in Game 4, as he had trouble keeping up with Carl Landry, a long time Laker-killer, who dropped 16pts and 9rbs.  Kobe has consistently emphasized the fact that Gasol is second in command on this squad, but with the start of the playoffs, Ron Artest, of all people, seemed to steal that position (Lakers fans can't complain about that). 

    

     The key to the Lakers’ balanced scoring attack begins with the bigs, especially Pau.  What Pau needs to do is demand the ball and use his height and vision to score and distribute, like he has done in the previous championship runs.  Bynum has proved that he can pull out 10 points and 10 boards a game, but Pau's production is what will open up the floor for Bryant and Odom and even Fisher, who has been looking to attack the ball more.  Look for the Lakers to go down low to Pau early in Game 5 in order to establish what should be an unstoppable inside presence.

     The playoff atmosphere has definitely provided some much-needed energy for the young Hornets team, lead by point guard Chris Paul.  However, Paul can only do so much in seven games, especially without big man David West.  Paul is one of the quickest and most competitive point guards in the league, but don't think that the Lakers and Zen Master, Phil Jackson, won't find a way to stop him before Game 5.  This set of playoffs has definitely shown how competitive the Western Conference is, with the 1-seed San Antonio Spurs down 2-1 to the Memphis Grizzlies. However, both the Spurs and Lakers should be able to wake up and make it out of the first round safely.  

     LA fans have seen this slump before, when the Lakers fell to 2-2 last year in the first round against a similar team: the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Lakers went on to win Game 5 by a 30-point margin and continued to roll through the playoffs to their second consecutive championship.  The Lakers have the league's best closer, three 7-footers in the front court, and a deep bench that should continue to provide energy in crucial minutes.  Inconsistent play has hurt the Lakers at times throughout the season, but in the end, they remain the biggest, most experienced team in the playoffs. 

My prediction: Lakers win it in six, and Kobe leads the team to another three-peat and his sixth ring.