Both of the above are very popular questions and accurately reflect the nature of the up-and-down season the Lakers have endured. However, the most intriguing question that we still cannot answer is (drum roll, please):
Will this season leave a good enough impression on Dwight Howard for the big fella to re-sign in Los Angeles?
Dwight's return or departure will have the most significant and immediate impact on the shaping of the future. And by the future, I mean the imminently approaching post-Kobe Bryant era. What they do this season will have a very strong influence on whether or not the former Orlando Magic superstar will remain in L.A.
If you're a reasonable sports fan, you can plainly see that the odds are stacked heavily against the Lakers to make a finals push in 2013. The Miami Heat are ripping off wins with ease, and the best few teams of the Western Conference have a very clear strangle hold on the standings.
Kobe Bryant is having a phenomenal season—enough so that I am personally looking into that mythical German blood treatment for my own use in later years. But seriously, the man is 34 and putting up unprecedented numbers in his 17th NBA season.
And yet, as much as the Lakers front office and fanbase have milked one of the greatest players to ever step on the parquet, the focus now has to be on Kobe's broad-shouldered teammate. This comes into play especially now that Bryant is sidelined indefinitely with a potentially serious ankle injury. His absence will surely impact the Lakers' playoff prospects and potentially influence the taste that this season leaves in Dwight's mouth.
Whether Kobe's injury is seas...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
