Why can't the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Rockets? Houston is a good team, but it seems like Los Angeles should at least be able to take two of three games and beat them at Staples Center. However, it was the Rockets sneaking by the Lakers on April 6 by a score of 112-107, as the Lakers gave up over 100 points for the second straight game. Granted, it would help if Andrew Bynum could stay on the floor.
Keeping calm
Andrew Bynum needs to be careful at this point in his career. I don't care how objective officials are supposed to be. They read the papers, watch the highlights, and deal with these players all throughout the season. Therefore, players develop reputations, and Andrew is in a precarious spot right now where he could start to turn into a guy that gets a quick technical. At this point in the season, the Lakers need him on the floor.
Solving fast guards
Offensively, the Lakers actually had some decent balance. Metta World Peace scored 23 points, Kobe shot adequately from the floor and Pau Gasol had a double-double to go with five assists. However, the Lakers just seem to struggle with Goran Dragic, who is fast becoming the Laker killer. Against the Lakers he had 26 points and 11 assists, and Dragic had 16 points and 13 assists the last time these two teams met. The Lakers still have some trouble with fast guards, which has major ramifications for the playoffs.
The playoffs
The playoff seeds are certainly not set, but we are starting to see what they might look like as the season winds down. As of April 7, the Lakers were the third seed, which means that they would play the Dallas Mavericks. This would be a good opponent for the Lakers, as they have beaten the Mavs three times this year, and they match up well against Dallas. What they don't want to do is fall to the fourth seed and play the Memphis Grizzlies. Even though the Lakers have beaten the Grizz a couple of times this season, Memphis represents one of those sneaky guard-oriented teams that could give the Lakers some problems.
Things will certainly not be dull as the season winds down.
Sources:
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/matchups
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320406013
The author grew up in Seattle and now lives in Los Angeles, where he enjoys the rivalry between the Lakers and the Clippers, and all the drama that goes with being in the Southland. You can follow him on Twitter @tpheifer.
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