Yahoo’s Kelly Dwyer asks the question, and provides an answer, along with a superb recap of the game:
Should the Lakers Have Won By More?
Should the Lakers have won by more? Perhaps.
The Clippers are the Clippers, and Baron Davis was obviously hurt, and even with Pau Gasol on the pine you would think the Lakers are more than seven points better than the Clippers at, uh, “home.”
But the Lakers should be more than cool with this outcome. There are loads of holes, but the potential for the defending champs is so, so high.
Let’s start with the holes. Shannon Brown has this defensive reputation that I just can’t understand. Derek Fisher isn’t guarding anyone, and Eric Gordon (and, to a lesser extent, Sebastian Telfair) had his way with the Lakers all night.
Also … well, that’s about it. Kobe Bryant didn’t shoot well tonight; he missed 15 of 26 shots. So what? This was an afterthought offense. The Lakers were toying with the Clippers, offensively. Lots of ball movement, great spacing, no worries on that end; just poor finishing.
Ron Artest didn’t have much of a line, he missed seven of 10 shots and turned the rock over four times, but he was trying to fill things out. Flashing to the post and trying to hit cutters. Trying to finish after great passes hit his hands.
The whole team was that way. I see massive potential in this offense, as long as Kobe holds up and Artest continues to stay within the confines of the triangle. He could be my Most Improved Player even if he fails to hit double figures in points per game. And Kobe? He missed a few low post chances, but, dammit; take it back down there. You can dominate.
There’s a lot more great stuff over there, so check it out. And as for the Lakers, this has the makings of a team that toys with opponents all year long. They’re shockingly talented—really, there’s head-scratching amounts of talent out there—and experienced enough to know that it’s a long season. This is a double-edged sword, though.
On the hand, they can conserve their energy over the course of a long season—as opposed to the Kevin Garnett INTENSITY AT ALL TIMES carnival in Boston—but on the other, they run the risk of never really finding that final gear. And that’s my biggest fear (hope?) for this Lakers team. With all that talent comes lots of unresolved roles, and until they get to a point where everyone’s busting their ass, it’ll be impossible to sort out who does what, and when.
And if they wind up trying to sort that out in the playoffs, it’ll devolve into at 31-year old Kobe Bryant taking 28 shots a game, while Phil Jackson sighs on the sidelines and stares at the floor, spinning his championship ring on his finger, trying to ignore Ron Artest tugging at his shoulder…
Artest: (aggressive) Yo COACH!
Jackson: (shrugs shoulders, mutters something inaudible)
Artest: (belly laughs, for some reason) Mannn…. Come on man. Be serious. I got THIS! They can’t HOLD me, DOG! Tru Warrrrrriahhh.
Jackson: Yup. Yeah, I know Ron. I know it.
Artest: You just gon’ let Kobe kill our season out there? I GOT THIS! You feel me? (barks at Shannon Brown) You feel me."
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