It’s been mentioned a number of times in our blogs over the past few nights about the worrisome status of the Los Angeles Lakers after losing Metta World Peace for the season and narrowly escaping Minnesota with a controversial victory.
After suffering a 113-103 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday – their fourth loss in the last five games – you have to wonder what it’s going to take for this team to make the playoffs. It matters so much more for the Lakers to find a way to play beyond the regular season than other teams because, well, because they’re the Lakers, first and foremost. They are always held to a higher standard than other teams, especially with the group they have.
But also, the future of the team is at stake, depending on what happens moving forward. With Dwight Howard set to explore free agency and the lack of progress he has seen from this team, there is no guarantee that he will stay, no matter how enticing it is to be the star of a big-market team. He has also learned this season that as long as Kobe Bryant is around, he will always play the role of second fiddle. Every other day, there is a headline somewhere about how Howard isn’t getting enough touches. This stuff matters for a guy who so badly wants to be the guy on his own team.
And then there’s the issue with Mike D’Antoni: if Howard does stay, does he want D’Antoni, who is known for his lack of interest in traditional big men, sticking around for the long haul?
An early exit in the first round – which is the likeliest of scenario if they make it that far – won’t be much better, but missing the postseason altogether still seems unfathomable for this team. Yet, that remains a very realistic possibility, as Bill Simmons of Grantland and ESPN noted in his tweet: