Much Needed Win Streak Could Come Lakers Way
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
All season long we’ve been waiting for the Lake Show to catch fire. Before the season began Metta World Peace was talking up the possibility of his team making a run at the most regular season wins ever. Now they’ll need to rip off a decent win streak just to make a run at the 8th seed in the West.
Thankfully a ray of light has made its way through the clouds of darkness that shroud this season. Two straight wins have given the Lakers a new lease on life.
Beating the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder, both playoff teams, has set the stage for what could be the much needed win streak we’ve all been waiting for. Starting tonight the Lakers have games against four teams that are below .500 and out of the playoff picture.
The New Orleans Pelicans (?), Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons provide the opportunity for the Lakers to get back to within two games of .500.
Hey, it’s a start.
However before you start counting those chickens keep in mind that after tonight the Lake Show hits the road for three games the last of which is another early start time in the Eastern time zone. On super Bowl Sunday the Lakers play the Pistons in a game that will tip at 10am here in Los Angeles. Let’s not forget what happened in Toronto when the Lakers had to lace em up that early.
And let’s also keep the right perspective here. We don’t know if this Kobe-Nash role reversal is here to stay or if it’s even feasible for Bryant to maintain all his new responsibilities. And as mentioned earlier a six game win streak will leave this team below .500 and still out of the playoffs.
But let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. This schedule is clearly a gift the Lakers desperately need to unwrap like an eager child on Christmas morning. If this team is ever going to get back on track then it’s now or never.