When Kobe Bryant called his Los Angeles Lakers team "old and slow", he was correct. They are the fourth oldest team in the NBA and as a whole, they'll struggle with the young and quick teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder. With that in mind, does it really matter?
"Old" teams can win championships. There is no age ceiling to win a title. The Lakers have four key contributors who have more than 11 years of NBA experience. The 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks had five such players. Heck, even the 2009-10 Lakers had four players with over 10 years of experience.
The 2012-13 New York Knicks are the oldest team in NBA history, and they currently reside at the top of their division with a 21-10 record.
While players' bodies start to break down and don't recover nearly as quickly, their minds should be sharper than ever. We've all heard the term "wily veteran." All that means is they are a much more cerebral player and don't rely on raw athleticism to get by.
In layman's terms, the Lakers are struggling because they're not playing smart basketball.
Their most recent defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers was a perfect example. They're 26th in the NBA in scoring per game (93.3), yet they were able to put up 103 points on 47.7 percent shooting from the field.
The Lakers shot just 39.4 percent, including 3-of-19 combined between Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard (who both shot 1-of-5 at the rim). Los Angeles had just 17 assists for the game to the Philadelphia's 27 assists.
When one looks at the box score and sees that the Lakers turned the ball over just seven times, it appears as if they passed the ball well. In fact, it was simply that they didn't pass the ball enough.
While it's more "fun" to play a more free-wheeling style under coach Mike D'Antoni, it's also dangerous because it has the potential to completely unravel at times. Bryant has taken hero b...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
