And yet the Lakers still lose at home to a struggling Indiana Pacers team. Bryant’s performance shouldn’t be overlooked, as he was listed as a game-time decision with the flu earlier in the day.
But it masks what looks like a bigger problem to date: The Lakers are struggling with new coach Mike D’Antoni’s system. Pau Gasol no longer seems to fit as a Laker, so some are speculating he should be moved for the guy with the bad knees and worse back, Amare Stoudemire from the Knicks.
At 7-8, the Lakers are still not even a quarter of the way through the season and middling around .500 won’t last too much longer. Moving Gasol, especially if he doesn’t fit, is one thing. But moving him for Stoudemire, who’s a huge injury risk and even a bigger risk on the defensive end, isn’t the answer.
Steve Nash is still hurt, and despite his run of amazing health during his time in Phoenix, I’m not sure if you can put a load of trust in a 40-year old point guard making it through an entire season–and a grueling playoff run.
And Bryant isn’t the most patient in terms of letting a team grow and finding itself. Shoot, Gasol can’t hold the ball for longer than 1.5 seconds before Bryant is running over to get it from him.
Sounds like more 40-point games are on the menu…but will the result of sluggish losses continue?
Join the Conversation
The Detroit News aims to provide a forum that fosters smart, civil discussions on the news and events that we cover. The News will not condone personal attacks, off topic posts or brutish language on our site. If you find a comment that you believe violates these standards, please click the "X" in the upper right corner of the post to report it.