One is that the Lakers have been the NBA's media darling since the post-Bulls dynasty due to their overwhelming championship success, the rise and establishment of Kobe Bryant as the best and/or most complete player in the NBA, the Kobe/Shaq feud and the general glitz and glamour of Hollywood that is recurrently on display to the viewing audience.
Anyone who cares to question this claim can refer to the NBA's Christmas day schedule over the past decade. Oh, and they also happen to be the two-time defending world champions in the league. Therefore, every marquee loss is magnified to an unprecedented degree, and a series of marquee losses is worthy of raising the nation's terror alert level to red.
The second reason, which has already been posited by several Lakers players in defense of the growing criticism the team has faced since the blowout loss on Christmas day to the Miami Heat, is that they currently have the third best record in the league.
Having brought the main arguments into place, let's address why the Lakers do in fact need to change things up.
First of all, any knowledgeable fan should recognize and appreciate the magnitude of disparity in talent between the top teams in the NBA and everyone else. Essentially, teams like the Lakers, Celtics and Heat can play at 60 percent of their potential and still manage a win against a significant portion of the league.
Therefore, to get the most accurate read of where a marquee team like the Lakers are in the season, particularly with the playoffs narrowly looming, the level of emphasis when they play another marquee team needs to be disproportionately high. With that in mind, let's now proceed to the evidence.
Exhibit A: The Lakers were embarrassed by the Heat on Christmas day. While the loss...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
