NBA Season Preview: What to Watch for and Expect from the Lakers

Christmas Day is approaching and all the news has naturally been centered towards the ever so appealing Christmas Day matchups. Usually around this time, the Los Angeles Lakers are warming up next to their fires, polishing up their championship rings and eating some homemade cookies. But not this year. This year, the Lakers—for the first time in a while—will instead lock themselves in their rooms and reflect upon the fact that they will most likely not be in the finals for two years in a row.

As the Lakers have aged, so have their chances of winning another title. If you haven't already heard, the Lakers—no joke—lost to their now potential "rival" neighbors, the Los Angeles Clippers, not once, but twice. Never has it looked so bad in the sense that Red-and-Blue seemed to reign over the Purple-and-Gold. Lob City may already be in full effect.

Now, due to a shortened 66-game season, the Lakers will be pushed up against a wall, and with early season injuries (Kobe Bryant wrist injury), the pressure to perform has never been higher. 

The Lakers do however, still have a more than viable starting five that they can rely on in Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Ron (I mean Metta World Peace), Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. But as most of you know, championship teams need something called a bench, and frankly, the Lakers don't really have one.

With the loss of Sixth Man of the Year, Lamar Odom, the Lakers as of now, will be worse than last year. As a failed attempt to acquire superstar center Dwight Howard failed, the Lakers are feeling the effects of what it feels like to go all-in and lose it all. Yes, Howard is still up for grabs, but for now, we can only speculate as to what the Lakers can do with what they have.



There will be two aspects in regards to this Lakers team, that we will ...