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| Is the Laker Dynasty coming to an end? |
As a Laker Fan, i rarely lose hope in them, but after a 109-89 defeat to the Charlotte Bobcats, it will be very hard to see the Lakers repeat for a third time.
The Lakers failed to reach 90 points while they almost gave up 110, that never happens. The Lakers shooting last night was grotesque. They shot 80 times, while only making 35. They were 3-19 from behind the arc, which is unlike the Lakers with so many shooters. Kobe only had 20 points after going 8-2 from the field and Ron Artest's struggles continued shooting 4-11 last night.
Pao Gasol said it best, "Pretty upset about what happened out there."
Last night's loss to the Bobcats was the worst of the season, and maybe on some minds, the worst loss in the last three seasons. This wasn't a fluke though, the Lakers seem to have lost their will to win games, and don't have the chemistry, mindset, or attitude to win games. The Lakers have had a few bad losses this season including games against the Grizzlies and Bucks by 19.
What can the possible problem be with the Lakers though?
They have practically the same roster as last season, besides a few switches like DJ Mbenga, Jordan Farmar, and Sasha Vujacic all leaving while Matt Barnes and Steve Blake have joined the Lakers.
The Lakers have had this season against the NBA's "elite teams". Those teams include the Celtics, Heat, Spurs, Mavs, and Magic. The Lakers are 1-6 vs those teams. The Spurs look like the front runner to win the West this year and haven't even hit double digit losses. Manu is on top of his game and along with Time Duncan and Tony Parker, the Spurs might be able to get back on top of the West.
The Lakers worst feature though is age. They have one of the oldest team's in the NBA and only have one starter who is under 25 years old. Kobe, Pao, Fisher, and Odom are all over 30 years of age, and in five years the Lakers will not be Los Angeles', or California's team.
While the Lakers are not looking exciting, two young California teams are; the Golden State Warriors, and the Los Angeles Clippers. Although the records, (24-29 and 20-35 respectively) may not say much, the names Blake Griffin, Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, and Eric Gordon do. These young stars look to take over their teams, and in addition, Los Angeles, California, and the Western Conference. When the Lakers, Spurs, and Mavs all have their star players retire in years to come, these young stars will be in their prime and will definitely not look back.
The Golden State Warriors have the supporting cast to even make it to the playoffs this season, and with a weak Phoenix Suns team, and chaos in Denver, they very well might make it into the playoffs. The Warriors signed David Lee this season to get double doubles every night and that is exactly what he is doing averaging around 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. Ellis and Curry do the rest of the scoring while Dorrell Wright hits clutch threes too. With a whole 30 games left to play and only being five and a half games back, maybe the Warriors can sneak into the playoffs.
The Clippers as well have a young talented team made up of players like Blake Griffin, Al-Farouq Aminu, Randy Foye, and Eric Gordon, and also have veteran Baron Davis to help lead the team. Although nearly ten spots behind the eight place team, I believe the Clippers will be in the playoffs within the next three seasons.
The Lakers look to get back into rhythm and compete to win their third straight title. The whole team will have to step up in order to win the championship again. As for the Warriors and Clippers, although time is running out this season, in a few years, these teams may be the team to beat in the Western Conference, and even the whole NBA.
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