Lakers in review, Week 1
Just a week ago the Lakers were coming off an unimpressive preseason, but certainly once the lights truly came on, they’d simply dominate the league ... except that didn’t quite happen.
It was iffy for Kobe Bryant to even play in the season opener, but was anyone surprised when he did, despite him being just 85% sure he would?
Dwight Howard admitted he was still strengthening his back, but was ready for the season.
Despite no Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks took the season opener at Staples Center. Coach Mike Brown’s offense showed signs of life in defeat, but the Lakers forgot to bring the defense.
Initially the point-guard rotation seemed obvious; by the end of the week it was turned on its head. Bryant’s primary backup at shooting guard also fluctuated from Jodie Meeks to Devin Ebanks, to even Metta World Peace in spot minutes.
In a lighter moment, Peace spoke about his appreciation of music from the 1920s and ‘30s.
The Lakers would lose more than the second game of the season in Portland against the Blazers. Steve Nash would go down with what was initially called a “lower-leg contusion.â€
Not only had the Lakers lost their first two regular-season games, they lost their final two of the 2011-12 playoffs and all eight preseason contests, making it 12 straight losses.
Bryant wasn’t worried, telling everybody to “shut up. Let us work.â€
Former Lakers forward and coach Kurt Rambis, currently with ESPN/Time Warner Cable as an analyst, noted he saw “virtue in the Lakers offense†despite many pundits saying otherwise.
Falling to the Clippers would make it 13, and an 0-3 start, even as an NBA 2K13 simulation had the Lakers winning 62 games this season and the NBA title.
Nash sat out and the Lakers clearly began to fall behind statistically compared with the rest of the league. The contusion would prove to be a “non-displaced leg fracture†that would knock him out for at least a week but more likely a month.
Through the losses, the Lakers continued to shoot a high percentage but struggled when their stars went to the bench. The biggest issue to date had been turnovers, which was putting tremendous pressure on the team’s shaky defense.
Finally some relief for the Lakers as they drubbed the Detroit Pistons, claiming their first win of the season.
You can email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.
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