DAMN, WRONG L.A.

by Don, With Malice...

Ok, not so long ago on my own blog, I declared that the Lakers were in for a season of mediocrity. Basically my premise was that the ineptitude of the LA front office is such that it precludes a decent performance from the team itself.

However...

The team is playing well, and the roster seems to be quite well put together - combinations within both the first & second units are really, really performing beyond my (beyond anyone's?) expectations. Then the theft of Ariza from Orlando for Cook/Evans... wow... who'd have thought Mitch Kupchak capable of strong-arming anyone into anything?

With excellent wins over Phoenix, Utah, Detroit & Indiana, the Lakers are no easy-beats this season.

I was wrong.

So why are they playing so well? What's occured to what was a pretty dysfunctional group over the Summer?

Kobe's playing a very team-oriented game at the moment. He leads the Lakers in assists, and has even taken to helping out with Andrew Bynum - the very player he ripped the front office for keeping. Bynum appears to be really, really benefitting from the extra confidence Bryant's showing in him... thus far he's playing the best that I've seen him play, on both ends of the court. He's reacted to Kobe's off-season rants in a very positive way. On the SB Nation blog, Indy Cornrows during the Indiana/Lakers game, more than once Bynum was referred to as a 'Beast'. Working with Abdul-Jabbar seems to be paying dividends.

Ronnie Turiaf has really come on, his passion and strength rightly earnt him a spot in the starting rotation. Hopefully his ankle injury won't hamper him too much as he comes back.

Odom's return and the presence of Fisher add two veterans that keep the team even-keeled.

But the biggest thing appears to be Kobe Bryant's belief in the unit. The entire team feeds off his energy, and his belief in them.

"His belief in them"... Lakers fans, let's hope it lasts.