It's beginning to look like this year's version of the purple and gold won't even make it out of the Western Conference playoffs. That's right, there are a few teams that stand a better chance of facing off with the likes of LeBron, KG, or Dwight Howard. One of them rolled over the listless Lakers tonight, turning the fourth quarter into a comedy act.
The Lake Show put on a slapstick routine for its home date with the Nuggets. If only it were funny. Denver managed to run the Lakers dry with injured star Carmelo Anthony sitting out the lopsided road win.
LA stayed with sharp-shooting Nuggets for a half, then as happens all too often this season, Phil Jackson sat his hobbled superstar, Kobe Bryant, and watched his small lead disappear faster than a coin in magician David Blaine's hand. Poof, it was gone!
Like magic, LA was down by double digits, and the amazing Bryant wasn't able to rescue his team this time around. There are only so many heroic escapes in a guy's sore ankles. There are only so many last second shots in his broken fingers. This time, his Lakers were embarrassed in their own house, and no one in the building, including Kobe, appeared to have any answers.
It's apparent that Jackson wants others in LA's lineup to step up, and it just isn't happening on a regular basis. Sure, the Lakers manage to pick off the Celtics in Boston and hold off those pesky Bobcats, but against the likes of Denver, San Antonio, and, oh my God, Portland in Portland, they look helpless. This season, you can feel the losses coming on, and once the team's play starts sliding, there is no stopping it.
All of the confidence built on last season's success won't lead the Lakers t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
