MANILA, Philippines -- Plagued by injuries and undefined roles amongst a collection of stars, the Los Angeles Lakers has been going through a disappointing season so far, I for one though can see a chance to turn things around.
A chance that may very well be the last.
Dwight Howard is battling a torn labrum on his right shoulder and don’t expect that to ease up for at least the rest of the season. But with that being said, maybe this opportunity of Dwight stepping back behind the lime light can give the rest of the team the time to better understand each other.
How? Well, I guess we all know what the Miami Heat had undergone to reach where they are now, right? With Dwight out, surprisingly, that’s one less problem to worry about in terms of building up the team’s chemistry.
Relax, I’m not saying he is not needed nor wanted but have you ever heard of how one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch? Exactly my point.
With him temporarily out of the rotation roles can be defined, questions can be answered and everything can fall into place more cohesively. Pau Gasol can get his groove back, D’Antoni can breathe a little better now and hopefully the rest will follow suit.
And if Dwight finally comes back, what now? Good question.
The way I see it, winning solves everything, plain and simple. Putting back a new gear to a well-oiled machine definitely sounds a whole lot better than trying to do the opposite by installing something that doesn’t fit in the first place. Pau can be reassured that he still is a vital piece to the puzzle that will lead to less indecisiveness that will without a doubt benefit the whole team. Don’t get me wrong, Pau’s a true professional and I can’t blame him for being inconsistent so far. It’s like doing someone else’s homework without getting any recognition.
I don’t know, but for me, he is the missing link. If I may add, once we get the big Spaniard we all love and knew, that makes the Lakers instantaneously a playoff contender, a dangerous combatant, a legitimate challenger to the throne that is the Miami Heat, if you will. A lot of holes will be covered and we can get back to our winning ways.
Really? You ask? Well, here’s one scenario that I’ve been contemplating about for quite some time now. I’m not sure if it’s just me but have you noticed that there are A LOT (and I mean a whole lot) of missed opportunities of passes that should’ve been made for easy buckets that point to Pau’s mishaps? That in itself is a scary thought if not all but most connected.
Now, this isn’t simply just wishful thinking. Many have been written or in this case many have actually wrote the Lakers off the playoff picture. But as an avid Laker fan or even just a fan in general, this is what I want to see. This is what I want to know and believe in.
Maybe everything will turn around when it’s all said and done. Maybe this is not their time yet. A lot of maybe’s to ponder on, to wonder about.
But this season isn’t necessarily hanging on just one’s shoulder that is torn as of the moment. There’s Kobe’s potent scoring and new-found play-making ability, Pau’s multi-faceted post-play, Steve’s crafty ball-wizardry and heck even Metta’s “Ron Artest-ness†physicality (plus his gut-cringing J to boot!) to back him up now.
If each and every one of them lowers their shoulder just a bit to make room for all to carry the load to the promise land, they definitely will be a force to reckon with. For all is not lost yet.
Maybe this turmoil that is taking place is what everybody needs. This subtle change, speck of a chance and a glimmer of hope can make a difference. Maybe all this drama is just a prologue to a story that belongs to the record books. Maybe I may be wrong but what if I was right? The curtain hasn’t closed yet.
So maybe, just maybe.