Fans better not buy into all the talk that the Lakers' time has passed.
During last season and at different points of this season, the Lakers seemed to play possum. They have had some curious losses this season; the back-to-back loses to the Charlotte Bobcats (26-37) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (12-51) certainly come to mind. But they have rattled off eight wins in a row, including a 99-83 beat down over the Spurs.
The Lakers have supposedly “limped” into the playoffs before and we have all seen what happened once they got there. If the Lakers make it to the finals, it will be through a tougher road this time around.
The Spurs are playing at a very high level this year—discounting the recent loss to the Lakers—and they are still a top-tier team. The up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder could have something to say about who makes it to the finals. Let's not forget about the Dallas Mavericks winning nine out of their last 10 games.
The Lakers are in third place in the Western conference, six games behind the Spurs and one game behind the second-place Mavericks.
Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant know what they have to do to get back to where they belong. When the dust finally settles in the West, the Lakers will probably be the last team standing.
As far as the finals are concerned, it could be a different story. Assuming that the Lakers make it back to the finals, they could face the top team in the Eastern Conference which is the Boston Celtics.
Make no mistake: The C's are well aware of their five-game lead in the loss column over the Lakers. Teams will always say they don’t care who they play, but nobody in their right mind believes that old worn-out cliché. I think it's safe to say that t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
