7. Resiliency
The ability to bounce back strongly from adversity is a hallmark of any good team. The good news for Lakers fans is that this team has repeatedly displayed this kind of toughness.
So far this season, the Lakers have lost four games by more than 10 points. Each time they have rebounded strongly to win the next game. Specifically:
• In early November, after losing at home to Toronto by 14 points, and trailing much of the game by a whole lot more, they came back to beat Minnesota in their next game.
• After getting beaten in Orlando two weeks later 130-117, they rebounded the very next night to rip Miami 113-97.
• After suffering their worst-ever loss to Denver, 117-85, the Lakers flew home and soundly defeated a good Indiana team, 104-96.
• Finally, following a fourth-quarter collapse and 133-120 loss at San Antonio, the team went to Memphis and clobbered the Grizzlies the very next night, 111-88.
The Lakers will undoubtedly lose other games this season by double-digit scores. That is the nature of the NBA. It will be well worth watching to see if they can continue to show the same type of resiliency all season long.