Los Angeles Lakers Tickets – Lakers Keep Winning Even Without A Dominant Kobe

After winning the NBA Championship a year ago, the Los Angeles Lakers may just be even more formidable this year than last.  Even with Kobe Bryant struggling to score since his return to the lineup after an ankle injury, the Lakers continue to roll, winning four of the last five games and pushing their conference lead to six games over the Dallas Mavericks.  The Lakers have benefitted greatly from a very deep team, with new players stepping up every night and a variety of different ways to win.  Considering that Kobe will likely only get stronger as the season goes on as he slowly regains his shooting touch, the Lakers have once again solidified themselves as the prominent team in the NBA.
As great teams tend to do, the Lakers went out and bolstered their lineup even after winning the championship, the 10th in Phil Jackson’s storied career.  Their key addition was Ron Artest, who many viewed as nothing but a distraction.  Artest has fit in very well with the Lakers, however, and is now starting to prove that he is still among the elite defenders in the league, which is something the Lakers haven’t had outside of Bryant in the last few years.
In the past week, Artest has completely shut down two of the most prolific scorers in the league in Carmelo Anthony and Danny Granger, helping the Lakers secure victories even with sub-par games from Kobe.  Heading into the postseason, this should allow Kobe to rest more on the defensive end and have fresh legs leading into what looks to be another Laker title run.  Los Angeles Lakers tickets remain one of the top draws in professional sports as the Lakers remain among the most prestigious teams in the league.
The Lakers also didn’t have a healthy Andrew Bynum for much of last season, which they now have to complement versatile center Pau Gasol.  Add in Lamar Odom and the Lakers can still dominate teams with their length alone.  Even though Odom has been criticized for being inconsistent, he also is a selfless player that fits in well to a Jackson’s scheme without needing to dominate the ball.  With his size and athletic ability, Odom continues to be a nightmare matchup, particularly as a third or fourth scoring option.
Other players who have stepped up have been Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar – two players who seemed to be headed out of the league just a couple seasons ago.  After barely playing for the Bobcats, Bulls and Cavs, Brown has found a home with the Lakers and Jackson has turned him into a nice scoring option off the bench.  In a seven-game playoff series, Brown will certainly get important minutes and should provide valuable rest for Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant.  Farmar is another player whose future in the league seemed uncertain just a couple years ago, when he bounced back and forth between the developmental league and the NBA.  Farmar now combines with Brown to be a strong scoring combo off the bench.
Against the other premier teams in the NBA, it’s the Lakers’ unmatched depth that separates them from the rest of the league and gives them the best chance for postseason success.  While the East-leading Cavs have plenty of talent, with likely MVP LeBron James combining with new pickup Antawn Jamison, they also have issues at center, as Shaquille O’Neal is out for six to eight weeks and Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ future with the team is still uncertain.  Even with a healthy Ilgauskas and O’Neal, the Cavs still may not be a match for the length and athleticism of the Lakers’ big men.   The Dallas Mavericks have added considerable pieces to their team in Caron Butler and Brendon Haywood, helping them to take off since the all-star break, but they still don’t seem to be much of a match for the depth of the Lakers in a long series.  Other talented western teams like the Utah Jazz seem to be in a similar boat.
As Kobe regains his form, anything less than a championship will be a wasted season for the Lakers.  With key additions like Artest, a healthy Andrew Bynum and steady contributors Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar, all the pieces seem to be in place to bring yet another championship to the Los Angeles Lakers.   Of course, for head coach Phil Jackson, it’s just business as usual.

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Shannon Brown explodes to the hole and finishes with a dunk.

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Do you think Shannon Brown will start as a PG for the Lakers?
If not, will Farmar? Farmar and Brown are able to shoot just as good as Fisher, but they are also great at penetrating the defense. I think it’d be nice to have 2 starting guards that can attack the rim and cause some havoc on the other team’s defense.