Lakers Make A Statement In Win Over Nuggets, But Was It A Positive One?

After the Lakers finished off the Nuggets in a Sunday thriller most of the world missed because of Olympic hockey, Pau Gasol went on the radio and uttered this line.

“We wanted to show them that they won’t have a chance against us (in the playoffs).”

Later, he implied that this was a “statement game” for the Lakers.

“We showed (again) that we’re a better team then them.”

And now let’s back up for a second. Did the Lakers really show much of anything in this win over the Nuggets? Not really. Sure, they won, but they did so only after Carmelo Anthony got called for a very questionable sixth foul against Ron Artest down the stretch. When Anthony fouled out, the game was still very much in doubt. I’m guessing his presence would have potentially tipped the scales. In addition, the mid-game loss of Ty Lawson to injury made a big difference, because the Lakers continue to have issues guarding point guards. If Lawson doesn’t get hurt, I’m guessing the Nuggets win this game.

Put it this way: if yesterday’s win was a statement win for the Lakers, what does that make Denver’s two double-digit wins over LA earlier in the season (the second of which came without Anthony)? SB Nation’s Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll agrees the Lakers made a statement, but it wasn’t a good one.

I’m still trying to figure out what that statement is. Maybe it’s “We’re bipolar”, as Kobe so succinctly put it last season.

Or maybe it’s an actual statement, in the form of Pau Gasol’s post game interview on radio: “We wanted to show them that they won’t have a chance against us”. (Thanks to Kevin Ding’s Tweet)

Really? Because it didn’t seem like it initially, as the Nuggets dominated the Lakers in the first half. It was a tale of two halves, as it frequently is for the Lakers. They played sloppy basketball, turned the ball over, and looked like they were going to mail this one in as Denver finished the half by 9 points and in control of the game.

Here’s the real statement: the Nuggets are a better team. LA’s lack of depth is being exposed big-time. Their bench is very weak, which means their five best players — Kobe Bryant, Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom — have to do pretty much everything. Bryant’s injuries mean it’s easier to limit him than before; just ask Arron Afflalo. Odom and Bynum still are extremely inconsistent, and Gasol can get pushed around at times by physical frontcourt players like Nene and Kenyon Martin. Really, the Lakers don’t win this game without Artest’s defensive contributions. As good as Artest can be, do you really want to rely on him to the degree the Lakers do?

If I’m the Lakers, this win freaks me out. Not only can Denver play with you on your home court when both teams are at full strength, but now Dallas is surging up the standings after their recent trade with Washington. You could argue yesterday’s game was a must-win for the Lakers, and they still played extremely inconsistently and sloppily. Only a late surge and a bad call on Carmelo Anthony guaranteed them a win.

That’s not to say the Nuggets and Mavericks will certainly beat the Lakers in the playoffs. As SB Nation’s Nuggets blog Denver Stiffs writes, this loss is also an indictment on Denver for their inability to string together four solid quarters. But I also think Denver Stiffs said it best with this line.

I won’t call the Nuggets “good guys,” but I agree with the rest.