The season is a marathon, but playoffs are a sprint. Considering that, injuries are all part of the process. The key for teams is to adapt to the situation well; by developing players or acquiring talent. We’re a quarter of the season in, and this is what’s happening.
In the Lakers’ case, all point guards are down with injury for multiple weeks. Pau Gasol is a candle that needs to be lit up in the 1st quarter to have the fire burn in the 4th. Robert Sacre is stealing minutes from Chris Kaman. Nick Young is most effective off the bench. Jodie Meeks is through with a short shooting slump. Wesley Johnson remains a consistent player with his high effort, high energy play. Kobe Bryant isn’t truly into game-shape yet, but he is taking Kobe-esque shots.
What do the Lakers do with all that information? Build on the identity of the team. Success for the Lakers is starting to come into a formula. There is a blueprint for how the Lakers go about attacking their opponents on the offensive end, and this is what it looks like.