Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
Every night the Los Angeles Lakers take the court it provides another lesson in learning how other teams go about their business. Last week the Miami Heat showed the Lake Show how you’re supposed to close a tightly contested NBA game. Last night it was the Chicago Bulls that displayed the right recipe for success as they suffocated Mike D’Antoni’s offense in a defensively display good for a 95-83 masters course in winning hoops.
Everything the Lakers aren’t the Bulls are.
Chicago plays as one cohesive unit whereas the Lake Show looks like a bunch of individuals all of which read from a different script. The Bulls communicate and have each other’s back on defense. The Lakers know nothing of defense and even less of communication.
Whatever it is D’Antoni thought he could bring to this franchise to get them into Titletown is becoming more and more exposed as delusion.
Dwight Howard was a complete non-factor last night taking just 5 shots in 29 minutes of action. Howard was practically invisible in the box score but actually unseen in the fourth quarter as he sat on the pine collecting splinters instead of valuable minutes in the clutch.
Pau Gasol was back on the bench after returning to the starting lineup for all of one game. It looks as if it’s officially sixth man status for the Spaniard until No D Antoni chooses to change his mind again.
Kobe Bryant’s legs are pretty much gone and we just hit the halfway point in the season. His shot again faltered as KB24 struggled scoring 16 points on 22 shots.
Nothing is working. Everything is broken. There is no solution in sight. Halfway through the season and the Lakers are worse than ever. All that remains now is to keep getting schooled by better teams each night. Up next on the syllabus is learning to lose in Memphis coming your way Wednesday.