However, one thing is for certain: They are a completely different team without Kobe Bryant and, to a lesser extent, Andrew Bynum.
Before the All-Star break, the Lakers played three games some might have expected them to lose without the two. They went into Portland with a nine-game losing streak at the Rose Garden, not having won there since 2006.
No problem. The Lakers came away with a 99-82 victory.
Just before the break, they traveled to Utah to play the red hot Jazz who carried a nine-game winning streak into the contest. The Lakers had previously lost seven of their last 10 games there.
No problem. The Lakers whipped the Jazz to the tune of 96-81.
Sandwiched between those two games was a match at Staples Center against their Western Conference rivals, the San Antonio Spurs, who were playing healthy and at full strength.
No problem. The Lakers unsaddled the Spurs 101-89.
All three games against tough Western Conference foes, and despite playing without Bryant or Bynum, the Lakers won each one by double-digits while also holding their opponents under 90 points.
Needless to say, with Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom playing with a vengeance, the Lakers played their three best defensive games of season, if not their three best all-around team performances.
In fact, they were so good that a number of fans called sports radio talk shows or commented on local blogs to propose the idea of going the rest of the way without Bryant.
A trade? Out of the question. Bryant is arguably the greatest NBA player of the past decade. You don’t just cast him aside in favor of Shannon Brown or Jordan Farmar.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
