Step one is to get Andrew Bynum involved early and often. When Drew is getting touches in the paint early the offense opens up late. Clearly Mike Brown sent a message to this team that the offense starts from the inside-out.

The Lakers controlled the tempo by getting Bynum going. Drew dropped 15 of his team-best 22 in the first half on his way to the 12^th double-double of the season for the first time All-Star. Feeding the beast is a proven formula, nice to see the Lakers embracing it. However Andrew alone is not the key to road victory.

Step two in the Lakers’ recipe for success is playing stifling defense. Here is where you see Coach Brown’s vision of what this team can be. Whenever the Nuggets got something going on offense the Lakers adjusted and took it away.

Al Harrington was killing Troy Murphy off the dribble. Time out. Insert help defense on Harrington. Problem solved. Same goes for Ty Lawson.

Of course it also helps to have a little luck. Danilo Gallinari never got it going despite having some open looks. Still, it is on the Lakers to hit the boards as part of their improving defense.

Pau Gasol might not be putting up All-Star numbers while he’s finding his place in the offense. That’s why his 17 boards were so vital tonight. If he’s not involved in the offense then the Spaniard has got to find other ways to contribute.

Now step 3 in this recipe for success is where it still gets a little troublesome for the Lakers.
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Lakers Grind Out A Win In Denver - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - A Los Angeles Lakers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

What I’m getting at is that we’ll have to accept some ragged games every once and awhile.

Tonight was one of those games.

Maybe Kobe Bryant was just paying homage to Tim Tebow. Only the Mile High Jesus would envy the shooting game Bryant had. Kobe was as accurate tonight in the Pepsi Center as Timmy Football was this afternoon at Invesco Field.

KB24 had an awkward night of history making. Awkward because Mamba become the youngest player in NBA history to hit 28,000 career points yet the accomplishment came on a night when he missed more shots then he ever has in an NBA game.

Kobe was an ice cold 6 of 28 from the field, scoring 16 points while going 1 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Overall the Lake Show had more misses than Michael J. Fox at the shooting range. Mike Brown’s offensive inabilities are showing early on. Tonight’s 39% for the team will attest to that.
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Lakers Offense A Mile High Mess In 99-90 Loss To Nuggets - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - A Los Angeles Lakers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More