With all the talk of the Clippers being the new big dogs in Los Angeles and with Oklahoma City being proclaimed by many as the favorites to win the conference, it's easy to see the Lakers as the "old man" of the West. What most people forget is that the Lakers have the same core as they have had for the past four seasons (with the absence of Lamar Odom of course), a core that has earned them four top-three spots in the West and three finals appearances. With that being said, it's also true that you are only as good as your last game, and before this season started, the Lakers' last game was an embarrassing 30 point loss to the now defending champions, the Dallas Mavericks. It wasn't just the fact that the Lakers lost that had everyone doubting them but it was the way they lost. They lost home-court advantage by dropping their first two at home, had discipline issues that were exemplified with Bynum's cheap shot against J.J Barea, and were questioned on their toughness, especially Pau Gasol. Even their most loyal fans (including myself), wouldn't have put the Lakers as the favorites to win the West after watching last season's debacle.
Yet, here we are. The best thing about sports is that no matter how good or how bad a team looks on paper, you don't really know anything about them until you actually see them play. And I'm not saying that the Lakers are going to win the West because they are playing incredible basketball, but because everyone else in the West isn't. The newly formed Clippers are a must-see show to watch on the offensive end, but defensively, they are far from adequate and their defensive woes can easily be exposed, especially in the playoffs. The defending champion Dallas Mavericks need to address a variety of problems both offensively and defensively. They have started the season 1-3 and badly miss, the presence and leadership of center Tyson Chandler.
The one team in the West that is living up to expectations is the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Kevin Durant who is the best player in basketball right now (yes, better than Lebron). With Ibaka and a 50-pound lighter Kendrick Perkins, the Thunder also have the big men to match up with the Lakers' duo of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Surprisingly so, the one person that will prevent the Thunder from beating the Lakers is their second leading scorer, Russel Westbrook. Russel Westbrook, along with Derrick Rose, is the most athletic point guard in the league. He has the skill set to score thirty points a game. But that's exactly the problem. Russel Westbrook knows how well he can score and he tries to take advantage of it, time and time again, at the cost of taking away shots from Kevin Durant, who is shooting 55% from the field in this young season. Russel Westbrook will be the demise of the Oklahoma City Thunder and his bad shot selection will negatively impact everyone on his team, including Durant. Maybe OKC will ask Westbrook to change his style and maybe he will learn to play like a real point guard, but if the status quo remains, look for OKC to beat themselves in big games.
Just because other teams are playing bad in the West, doesn't mean that the Lakers are playing well. The Lakers began their season losing their first two and had people all over the league questioning whether or not these Lakers were about to self-destruct. I also haven't even mentioned the younger teams in the West who could pull off key upsets, teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets. I also haven't mentioned the aging but consistent San Antonio Spurs, who are always a threat in the post-season due to their depth and unmatched experience.
What, in my mind, puts the Lakers ahead of the rest of the West, despite their inconsistent play, is their bench, which is deeper than it has ever been despite losing Lamar Odom, and their two big men, who have the ability to provide instant offense against anyone in the NBA. The addition of Troy Murphy, Joshua McRoberts, and Jason Kapono provides the Lakers with a solid second unit, that is anchored by Steve Blake and Metta World Peace. Don't get me wrong. Lamar Odom is a great basketball player and his presence will be missed dearly, especially in the locker room. But his departure may have come as a little bit of a blessing due to the fact that he played about 30 minutes a game, taking away key minutes from other bench players and thus making them ineffective. This impact can also be seen with the departure of Shannon Brown on the play of Steve Blake, who doesn't have to compete for minutes and has a clear role as the back-up point guard behind Derek Fisher.
Along with their second unit, the Lakers still have Gasol and Bynum, who can both cause havoc in the paint. The Lakers missed Bynum dearly in their first two games and he played a critical factor in the Lakers' win over the Nuggets on New Years' Eve, scoring 29 points and snatching 13 boards. No other team in the NBA has two big men that they can constantly feed the ball to for offensive production. The maturity in Bynum's game was easy to notice in his pre-season games and his first regular season game, as he has become more patient and is taking quality shots in the paint. If Bynum stays healthy, he has the ability to demand a double-team on any given night, freeing up Fisher, World Peace, Murphy, and Kapano for easy looks from downtown. Pau Gasol been solid as always is to start this season, averaging 17 points and 8 boards. Oh and the Lakers also have Kobe Bryant, who is on pace to pass Shaquille O'Neal for fifth all time on the NBA's scoring list. When you team him up with Gasol, Bynum, and the Lakers' depth on their bench, it doesn't seem too far of a stretch to say that the Lakers will be the best in the West.
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