The NBA continues its opening-week-long festivities Sunday night when Showtime faces off against The Motor City's finest.
Each team is still looking for its first win, which, if you're a Los Angeles Lakers fan, is nothing short of shocking.
Luckily for Mike Brown's cohesively challenged squad, L.A. faces a Detroit Pistons team which has already suffered two losses at the hands of even more inferior opponents.
So even though Detroit will be enthralled at the opportunity to pull off an upset, the Lakers should win easily, right?
Sure, except that's what we thought three other times. And look how that's turned out.
Time: Sunday, November 4th, 9:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBA League Pass
Records: Detroit Pistons (0-2), Los Angeles Lakers (0-3)
Betting Line: Lakers -8
Injuries (via CBSSports.com)
Pistons: Corey Maggette (calf), out
Lakers: Earl Clark (groin), questionable; Jordan Hill (back), probable; Steve Nash (shin), out
Key Storyline: Can the Lakers win their first game of the 2012-13 NBA Season?
Los Angeles' 0-3 showing through its first three games is now irrelevant.
Should the Lakers have a better record? They're roster suggests that they should, but L.A.'s lack of chemistry also implies the team is just going through the motions until it find its inevitable groove.
That said, such excuses won't fly against the Pistons. The Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers are all playoff hopefuls. Detroit isn't.
Which means, struggling or not, Los Angeles needs to assert its dominance by claiming an easy victory.
But will it ultimately do just that, or are its initial struggles indicative of a team which can lose to any team, on any given night?
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
