The Lakers 0-3 start might have a lot to do with that. Or, their 0-11 start—including their winless preseason—might be more reason.
In all reality, luck—if you even believe in it—has little to do with the Lakers woes. There are, however, plenty of other factors that have plenty to do with their winless season.
Health.
It is no secret that Kobe Bryant played the season opener with a strained right foot. What most people don’t realize is that he has been playing through pain in each game since.
After Friday night’s game three loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Bryant told reporters that he had been playing on one leg and that his foot felt like it was “about to fall off” during the game.
The Lakers’ key offseason acquisitions, All-Star center Dwight Howard and All-Star point guard Steve Nash have their own health problems.
Howard, while averaging over 36 minutes in their first three games, is not 100 percent. He may be a physical specimen and a bit beastly, but he did have spinal surgery just over six months ago.
Steve Nash, who missed game three, will be out for at least another week with a small fracture in his left leg.
Chemistry.
Aside from adding two key new pieces to their already talented roster, the Lakers are also trying to learn a new offensive system—the often maligned Princeton Offense.
Take the addition of two star players, factor in all of the practice time that has been missed by various starters—Bryant, Howard and Nash—due to various injuries and add a new offense, that is a recipe for disaster at the start of the season.
As Bryant said after the latest loss, the Lakers need to be patient:
“It’s particularly hard for me because I’m not the most patient individual in the world, but you have to be. You have to be…You have to stay persistent and you have to stay committed to what we’re doing and just keep on trucking.”
Perhaps, fans should be patient with them as well.
Who knows, maybe World Peace will find luck in new Twitter feeds.
Tweet of the Night: Kenny Smith
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Michael Brumagin is the “Tweet of the Day” columnist for Sheridan Hoops and a sports correspondent for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter.