And sometimes shaking things up can be as simple as giving the bench players added minutes while your starters are injured.
Such is the case for the Lake Show after the news that Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol will be out indefinitely with injuries. From Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
Howard is sidelined with a torn labrum in his right shoulder while Gasol has a concussion.
"It shouldn't keep me out for awhile, but to make sure that I'm cautious, to make sure that I'm healthy that's the most important thing," Howard told reporters at the Lakers practice facility after undergoing an MRI that revealed the tear earlier on Monday.
Two Lakers sources told ESPN on Monday that they are cautiously optimistic Howard's injury isn't that severe and will heal within a week or two. Holding him out in the short term is "more precautionary," one source said.
After a stretch of games in which the Lakers won six of seven (including five in a row), it finally seemed as though the team had found its groove. Those thoughts were quickly erased, however, when the team lost its first three games in January.
There's no question there are major issues in L.A. right now. The team doesn't play defense. Howard and Gasol aren't a great pairing down low, especially in Mike D'Antoni's system. Howard and Kobe Bryant may or may not be feuding. Steve Nash hasn't been the savior.
So maybe it will be good for this team to be rid of the low-post presences, open up the system a little bit and just ride Nash and Kobe over the next two weeks. Maybe all this team needs to break out of its funk is to unclog the lane, let Kobe go to work and allow Nash the freedom to create.
I mean, playing some more defense would help, but I'm not goin...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
