It’s Playoff Time and the Los Angeles Lakers Need to Face Up

 

As you read this, try not to imagine that a baby pink elephant is standing in the room where you are.  Don’t even think about the strangely-colored pachyderm.  

If at any time while reading this article an image of a pink elephant comes to mind, go back to the top and begin reading all over again.

Each time you imagine a pink elephant, you must start reading the entire article from the top.  No cheating. 

What does this have to do with the Lakers?  Well, right now they have the same problem.  Only it is not that particular animal that I asked you not to imagine as you read this.  Instead, the Lakers have been dwelling on their own self-doubt.

The Lakers are the victims of both self-inflicted wounds and mantras chanted by the media from all across the country. 

It started like this… 

Way back in November, media commentators and writers began chanting 'too many home games to start the season.'  They warned that the back end of the schedule was loaded with away games and long road trips and insisted that the Lakers would not be able to keep up the torrid pace they had set to start the year.

Sure enough, the Lakers started to lose a couple games on the road to teams with winning records.  That engendered more nay-saying from the media: 'The Lakers cannot beat teams with winning records.'

Then Kobe Bryant broke the index finger on this shooting hand.  He already had a broken pinkie finger on his left hand. 

Another chorus of chants went up!  'Bryant won’t be able to shoot that well with a broken index finger.'

Although Bryant was determined to keep up his game even with a broken index finger, some doubt was creeping into the minds of his teammates.  Bryant assuaged that doubt with a couple of game winning shots.

Then on Christmas...