What the L.A. Lakers Should Wish for This Christmas

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in the midst of a four-game winning streak which has somewhat calmed the storm after a four-game losing streak that had some fans inch closer and closer to the panic button. While the Lakers are playing improved basketball and their star point guard, Steve Nash, has finally made his return to the lineup, there are still plenty of things that need to go right and need to be fixed if they are to turn their championship aspirations into reality.

With Christmas right around the corner and Santa getting ready to fire up his sleigh, let's put together a wish list for the Lakers for the rest of the season.

1) Improved defense

When the Lakers landed Dwight Howard, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, it was widely assumed that L.A.'s defense would be much improved, especially with a defensive-minded coach in Mike Brown helping steer the ship. Well, as you know, Brown wasn't invited to stick around very long this season and since his departure, the Lakers have continued to not be a very good team defensively.

As of right now, there are too many defensive breakdowns and slow rotations that are causing the Lakers all sorts of problems (there were at least three against the Warriors that were just unforgivable). They currently sit at 22nd in the NBA allowing 99.9 points per game (they allowed 95.9 last season).

Some of it has to do with the Lakers being one of the older teams in the league and some of it has to do with Mike D'Antoni not being a great defensive coach. Whatever the case may be, the Lakers need to figure out how to stop teams in order to be as successful as they want to be. 

2) Health

It all started during the preseason when Dwight Howard didn't play a single game as he recovered from offseason back surgery. Then Steve Nash went down in the second game of the season with a left leg injury. Steve Blake was the next casualty, as he was forced to undergo surgery to ...