Here we go, folks. The home stretch. It's often been somewhere between whirlwind and roller coaster, but the Lakers will head into Staples Center this evening within spitting distance of a guaranteed playoff spot.  Obviously, the team would have preferred a better result against potential playoff opponents Phoenix last week, but the 0 for post-Shaq era streak against the Suns remained intact (another shot lurks 36 hours off), but the Clips and Warriors both tasted some purple and gold fury, which will hopefully become a part of a season-ending roll. A mood will be set going into the (almost certain) postseason, which makes the next three games interesting in their own right. Here's what's on tap.

Doesn't seem like there's much "was" to talk about, huh? Last night's loss to the Nugs felt like the first Lakers game since Mikan suited up for Minneapolis. That's what happens when they enter a three day hibernation. Good news first. The other two games last week were against Seattle and Houston, squads the Lakers have absolutely no business losing to, and they left the arena with W's both times. Bad news next. The Nuggets definitely don't qualify as a "gimme," but given that K-Mart and The Munchkin didn't dress and the Lakers had more than their chances to come on top, the results certainly qualify as (at least) "mildy disappointing". As it stands, with six games left and a three game lead on 9th seed NO/OKC, the Lakers are sitting reasonably well when it comes to making to postseason. Unfortunately, "reasonably well" isn't the same as "guaranteed," so there's no room for kicking it on one's laurels. Frankly, two of the week's three games could be tough even if the Lakers shift into overdrive. Here's what's on tap... 

A light work week for the purple and gold got off to a top notch start, with the Lakers adding the rumpled carcasses of Milwaukee and New Orleans to their stack of conquests for their first four game winning streak in a very long while.  After defeating the Hornets on Sunday, L.A. had three days off to heal (between Kobe's back, Bynum's ankle, Smush's finger, Mihm's ankle, and George's wrist, Gary Vitti has been a very busy man) and prepare for their next big test, Thursday night's game against San Antonio.

We all know how that went. 

With their 96-85 win, the Spurs reminded the Lakers that their game still has some holes that need filling if they're going to play with the conference powerhouses come playoff time.  In a way, the game could be a blessing for the Lakers.  Why?  Because flaws that don't get exploited against lesser opponents (allowing them to slip under the radar) cause serious issues against a ludicrously methodical team like the Spurs.  Every time the Lakers made a mistake, they were scored upon or prevented from scoring.  That they rolled out a red carpet in the lane for Tony Parker didn't exactly help, either (anyone who spends that much time in your paint should have to shoot more than one free throw for their troubles).  But even with the loss- honestly, are you that surprised- the Lakers still had a good week.  And with three games on tap this week, a 1.5 game lead over Sacramento and at least a chance (about as likely as your blog hosts winning a Pulitzer, but still a chance) of catching Memphis for the 6th spot, they don't have the luxury of dwelling on Thursday's loss.  Here's what's on tap...

A week passes. 4 games go by. The Lakers pull out a .500 result. Many things in life qualify as "shocking." That wouldn't be one of them. But for a 2-2 stretch, Lakers fans sure found plenty to discuss amongst themselves:

Conspiracy theories, ranging from "Kobe-hatin' refs" to "Why the hell ain't Jimmy Jackson playing?"

Kobe v. Ron Ron.

Will Kwame Brown's huge night be the start of something big or merely a fond memory/tease?

And those were just the highlights. Granted, much of that buzz will understandably take a backseat to Von Wafer's return. But with a mere dirty dozen games left on the schedule, the importance of said contests take second stage to nothing. There's no such thing as a "must win" game anymore, because it's too redundant down the home stretch. Seriously, which ones can they lose? Buckle up, Lakers fans. It's about to get interesting. Here's what's on tap.

Which word do Lakers fan relate better to? "Topsy" or "turvy?" Why quibble? They should just embrace both. Hot off the heels of a huge win against San Antonio in their house, the Lakers were on top of the world, ready to pounce on a "gimme" game against Seattle. Well, aside from a 120-113 loss and Chris Mihm's severe ankle sprain that could keep him out the rest of the season, everything pretty much came up "purple and gold." Kobe Bryant, fighting a drastic shooting slump, would have probably preferred a different opponent on Tuesday than Ron Artest and the Kings. After a 114-98 loss, the feeling amongst his teammates was mutual. Thankfully, the squad managed to regroup at Staples for a 92-89 squeaker against the Wolves.

Another week passes. The quest to float above .500 and keep a playoff seed remains intact. It doesn't hurt that the teams trailing the Lakers aren't even inconsistent, lately. They just stink. But covering their bases by simply winning a few games wouldn't be a bad idea. Here's what's on tap.

What looked last Friday like a disaster waiting to happen will end up no worse than a .500 week, depending on what the Lakers do tonight against the Spurs. Last Saturday's surprise against Detroit quickly put the kabosh on fears of an 0-4 week. The Lakers followed that up with a spirited loss to the Spurs, and a massively important win in New Orleans. If they can pull another upset tonight, it would finish off the greatest road trip since the purple and gold were holding parades on Figueroa. Even if they lose, it was still a success.

The only real dent in the road was Devean George's wrist injury. You may have noticed that the Lakers aren't exactly blessed with depth. The signing of Jim Jackson should help soften the blow, but L.A. can't really afford to have anyone who plays significant minutes in the rotation on the shelf.

The good news is that the schedule makers gave the Lakers a break this week, relatively speaking. They'll face only one team that currently has a winning record. Of course, Laker fans were dancing in the streets in anticipation of easy wins against Boston and Portland, and we all know how that turned out. It's clear that as long as the opponent is in the NBA, has uniforms, and manages to make tip off on time, the Lakers can't afford to be complacent. Here's what's on tap...

The second season started Tuesday with a spanking of the Trail Blazers and continued Thursday night with a big, nationally televised whippin' of the Kings.  A win tonight against the Clippers would make what has already been a very good week for the Lakers into a monumental one.  The opening is there.  L.A.'s other team seems to have caught a bit of the nostalgia bug- never a good thing for the Clippers- remembering and reliving the bad old days of Clipperdom with a five game slide.  With a win, the Lakers will pull to within 1.5 games of their crosstown rivals and generally turn the race for spots 5-8 into a dead heat. 

See what a couple victories will do? 

The Lakers have been lifted this week by strong play from Lamar Odom, and continuing contributions from Devean George.  They've come out of the break with more emphasis on going to the hoop, finding mid-range jumpers, and not settling for three pointers.  You know, the stuff we've been telling them to do all year (honestly, all we need is a Telestrator and our own broadcast tower and we'd rule this industry like kings).  That Odom and Chris Mihm had a chance to heal up for a few days didn't hurt either. 

The purple and gold have a good shot at sustaining their winning ways this week... and need to make sure it happens.  Starting with next Saturday's game at home against Detroit, the schedule takes a more difficult turn.   Here's what's on tap...

For nearly 48 hours after putting a beat down on Utah Monday night, the Lakers looked like they had finally broken out of the road trip funk that had dragged them back to .500.  Then Wednesday rolled around.

The verdict?  Still funky. 

The Lakers have work to do, and not a lot of time to do it.  They've fallen a full three games behind Memphis and the Hornets for the 6th/7th spots in the West, and are only a game up on Utah for the 8th spot.  Worse, the horses are gathering behind them.  Golden State, Sacramento, Minnesota (hey, if the sheer star power of Kobe can drive the Lakers into the playoffs, it's hard not to say the same thing about KG), and hard-charging Houston (shocking what a healthy Yao and T-Mac will do for a squad) are all within 4.5 games of the purple and gold.  It's a solid bet that at least one of those teams will mount a charge after the break. 

We're not quite ready to say that every game now is a life or death thing (we are, after all, talking about the 8th spot in the playoffs), but if the Lakers do want to taste the postseason, they can't afford to give away any more games.  There just aren't enough games left.  The cost of each loss will only be magnified as February ends and March rolls around.  On the flip side, they'll also have opportunities to steal games from superior opponents, which would be a major boost to the playoff drive (it's not all just negativity here on Lakers Blog). 

At 26-26, the first week out of the break is a big one.  Here's what's on tap...   

Well, the roadie wasn't pretty, but even at 2-5, it could have been worse. And beyond just 1-6 or going goose egg and 7. The injury to Lamar Odom's ribs appeared to be a potentially long term ouch, yet he ended up back on the court after just a couple games. Those who've questioned both LO's value and his toughness may have reevaluated those doubts, at least to some degree. Unfortunately, the triumphant return of Chris Mihm remains a question mark. But in Mihm's absence, there's been some pep in Cookie's step after he hit a career high 28 against Dallas and nearly matched it while torching Houston. I wouldn't count on Cook to continue rolling like an All-Star, but if he can get into a groove of around 13, the Lakers would get a huge lift throughout their push towards the playoffs. Even with the all the adversity while shuttling from city to city, the team managed to remain above the .500 mark. Again, it wasn't pretty. But it could have been worse.   

What's on tap...

Friday night's big win against Golden State was a big one for the Lakers (Was it ugly?  Sure, but the only thing worse than winning ugly is losing ugly...).  By finishing the week 2-0, they gave themselves some breathing room heading into their seven game roadie, beginning tomorrow in (gulp!) Detroit.  Even better for the Lakers, they were in position to lose both games, but managed to pull them out in unconventional (81) and somewhat more typical (big 4th from Kobe) fashion.  But by winning the games they're supposed to win, the purple and gold have built a 2 1/2 game lead on Minnesota and Utah for the 8th spot.  Not exactly a runaway, but it most likely means that even if things go bad on the trip, let's say 2-5, they won't end up joining the Warriors down in playoff purgatory.  23-19 makes that easier than 21-21. 

If the Lakers can play near .500 over the trip, it'll go a long way towards solidifying a postseason berth.  They'll spend a lot of time at home over the last third of the season.  A winning trip would be massive.   

Here's what's on tap.   

This week was filled with plenty of good (wins over Cleveland and Indiana), not much bad, but a whole lot of ugly (pasted by Portland?).  Still, if every week is a 2-1 week, the Lakers will easily be able to punch their postseason ticket.  This week, it'll be hard to equal that mark, mostly because they play four games, not three.  Three on the road (two very winnable), and Monday's TNT game highlighting Jason Kapono's return to his old collegiate stomping grounds.   

Here's what's on tap...

The first week of 2006 was no less nasty than the last week of 2005.  With Kobe on the sidelines (by the way, how great would it be to have a job where getting docked two days pay means giving up about $290,000?  Those days when the checks do arrive must be nice) the Lakers dropped both ends of a home and home against the Jazz.  With a loss tonight at home against Philly, they'll slip two games under .500... dangerously close to the also rans of the Western Conference. 

It doesn't get much easier for the purple and gold this week.  Here's what's on tap...

Maybe you haven't heard, but the Lakers have had a pretty decent week, and have a chance to make it a great one with a win tonight at home against Washington.  The Purple and Gold have not been particularly intimidating at Staples, something that needs to change if they're going to keep the momentum from their 5-1 road trip. 

You never know what's coming around the bend, but for the time being, there are reasons for Lakers fans to celebrate.  The team is gelling, the holidays are coming (with Santa bringing a pretty good Christmas Day game), and if the season were to end today- which would really be unfair to people who bought season ticket packages- the Lakers would be in the playoffs. 

Here's what's coming this week...

(12.10: Hey.  Apparently, the link to the rest of this post has been experiencing technical difficulties.  Thanks to a couple of people who have let us know.  Here's the rest of the post.  BK)

A win tonight in Chicago would give the Lakers something they haven't had in a while: perfection.  A week's worth of it, at least, in the form of a 4-0 stretch over the last seven days.  While the Charlotte game was one that they probably didn't deserve to win, in Milwaukee and Toronto, the Lakers looked like a real team, moving the ball, distributing shots, filling passing lanes and the like.  Take away last Friday's still horrifying 18 point collapse against the Timberwolves and it gets even better, especially on the offensive end. 

The week upcoming will give the Lakers a chance to add serious momentum to their run, with four more games including three against Western Conference rivals.   Even better for the purple and gold, they finally return to town after a six game road swing.  And assuming the Clippers haven't used up all of Staples Center's available mojo, there's no place like home. 

It's too early to say for sure if this'll be the week we all remember because Sasha Vujacic cracked the starting lineup for matchup purposes, then stayed there with solid play (a reality that at the beginning of October, frankly, would have shocked the hell out of at least one of your host bloggers), but it will definitely be the week we remember for the high flying, SportsCenter makin' antics of Von Wafer! 

So without further ado (drum roll, please...) here is your Week That Will Be:

Saturday, Dec. 10 at Minnesota, 5:00 (KCAL):

At least the Lakers don't have to wait long to get another crack at the Timberwolves, and try to get some revenge for "The Friday Night Fright" we all endured last week (If the game had been on a Monday, I'd have called it "The Monday Night Meltdown, but I couldn't think of a good "F" word to describe that game... not one that can be used here, at least.)  While the comeback seems to have lit a fire under the Lakers, it's done wonders for the Wolves as well.  They've won three straight since then, picking up road wins in Sacramento, Utah, and Portland.  Wally Sczcerbiak has stayed red hot, averaging over 21 ppg, and shooting nearly 60% over his last five games.

Monday, Dec. 12 at Dallas, 5:30 (KCAL):

It doesn't get any easier for the Lakers as they head to Big D to face the German Uberhero Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs.  Despite losing forward Josh Howard to an ankle injury, Dallas has hung near the top of the very competitive Southwest Division.  Why?  One big reason is coach Avery Johnson, who has Marc Cuban's gang focusing less on scoring 29 billion points a game, and more on keeping opponents from doing the same.  Dallas is 5th in the NBA in point differential, scoring 4.8 more per night than the opposition, and is a very respectable 9th in points allowed per game. 

Wednesday, Dec. 14 at Memphis, 5:00 (KCAL):

What was supposed to be a rebuilding year in Memphis after some serious roster turnover has been a smashing success thus far.  General Manager Jerry Something -or-other has watched Eddie Jones and Damon Stoudamire, two of the Grizz newbies, push Memphis to near the top of the West.  They're still led by Pau Gasol, and still feature balance throughout the roster (six guys average in double figures).  Except now, they're really good.

Friday, Dec. 16 vs. Washington, 7:30 (Fox Sports West)

Finally, the Lakers return home.  If Kwame Brown is available, it's a chance for him to fight back a little in the "Who Was The Better Trade Pickup?" battle our scorecards show he is currently, well, losing to Caron Butler.  Bad.  More importantly for the Lakers, it's a chance for them to beat an inconsistent Eastern Conference team.  Washington has struggled to play .500 ball in a terrible division.  They score- and give up points- in bunches.  This is easily the most winnable of next week's games, but after a long trip and a tough run against good teams, it'll be interesting to see how the Lakers respond.

All that prevented this week from becoming a scorched earth basketball wasteland was one very questionable foul call Thursday night in Utah that allowed the Lakers to push the game to overtime and eventually win.  Four games, three losses, lots of problems.  Too much Kobe, too little Kobe.  Way too little defense, way to many injuries.  No need to recap the week in detail (Frankly, I'm still on tilt after Minnesota's 68 point 2nd half last night).  On a more positive note, after Sunday's game at home against Charlotte, the Lakers begin a brutal six game road trip. 

(Seriously, though, the team did show positive signs this week.  The offense made strides, some supporting players began to step up, and they played very tough in San Antonio after falling behind big early... but the bottom line is they went 1-3, and were very lucky to get the one.)

Here's what's on tap...

Last Friday was part one for L.A. bragging rights supremacy. Score a round #&%*-talkin' points for the Clips. No way around it, the Lakers had it handed to them in a 97-91 loss that really wasn't as close the score would indicate. The confidence of their Staples Center mates has swollen up bigger than Jamie Foxx's ego, but their play merits swagger. Feels weird just typing it, but this wasn't a team the Lakers had any business beating.

The Bulls, however, could have been a different story on Sunday. A better team perhaps, but coming off a three game losing streak on the road, and just as young and inexperienced as the Lakers. Unfortunately, they were also more aggressive and confident, and the Lakers hung onto Kobe like Linus with his security blanket. Thankfully, they managed to pull it together on Thursday, even maintaining a strong effort during the first half with Kobe on the bench in foul trouble. Lamar Odom took over the opening 24 minutes in a big way, and then it was all about Kobe, who put on a clinic (and held Ray Allen in check). The ideal would still be a fluid two man game for an entire contest, and it's still a work in (long) progress. But Lakers fans had to be happy seeing both give solo displays of what they do best.

Unfortunately, Kupchak is getting the most of his squad's medical insurance premiums. Guys have been falling harder than Paris Hilton's boyfriend as a valet hands him the keys. Devean George and Kwame Brown have entered the ranks of "no clue when they'll be returning," exchanging the secret handshake with Luke Walton and Slava. And with the squad now thinner than Vujacic's legs, every win, regardless of opponent, is a good one.  Problem is, they're basically playing every other day all week, and those getting heavy minutes due to injuries (possibly everyone but Von Wafer) could get pretty tired down the stretch. It'd be a sweet time for the entire squad to just sort of wake up and know the triangle. That being a long shot, the more realistic shot of winning will come from guys busting butt on D, taking the open shot without hesitation, and not watching Kobe do his thing. It'll be a test, for sure.  Here's what's coming:

It was a tale of two cities, or games at least, for the Lakers this week.  Monday's game in Memphis was basketball at its worst.  Two teams playing badly, shooting what felt like a combined 11% and turning the ball over like they were allergic to leather.  Had I paid for a ticket that night, I'd have staged a sit in at the FedEx Forum until the police came to arrest me or management delivered a refund.  The game ended the Lakers 1-3 road trip on a point so low you'd need coal miners or Fraggles to find it. 

Fortunately, The Relief For What Ails 'Ya, otherwise known as the New York Knicks, visited the friendly confines of Staples on Wednesday.  How the Kobe Bryant's- I mean the Lakers achieved their 97-92 victory has been a point of debate on this site.  I contend that at home, how you win matters, and can be indicative of a team's quality.  It's not healthy for Kobe to score so much while the rest of the players don't.  Ignore for a second the question of whether or not Kobe freezes out his teammates, they stand around and watch him too much, or if the supporting cast just isn't good enough to get the job done.  Then compare Wednesday's win with the Denver home victory and even the Phoenix loss with their more equitable distribution of points and decide which form of offense works better.  Kobe must dominate the O.  He's generally the best player on the floor.  But there's a tipping point where that dominance becomes counterproductive, and the team flirted with that line, if not crossed it, this week.

In tonight's game against the Clippers- the world beating Clippers- the Lakers have a chance to break out of that cycle that hurt them so much last season.  That is, of course, if they can find an answer to Boniface N'Dong. 

It's a slow week comin', but here's what's on tap:

With tonight's game in Philadelphia, the Lakers have a chance to put an exclamation point on a second consecutive positive week.  A win would guarantee no worse than a 2-2 road trip, meeting all realistic expectations and Phil Jackson's Pre-trip goal.  Outside of Kobe Bryant's dominating play, the rest of the team remains a work in progress.  Lamar Odom's ability to fill up a stat sheet (15.8 ppg., 10.0 rpg., 5.6 apg.) is making him a fantasy stud, assuming you don't play with a crew that only counts shooting percentage(36.9%).  Kwame Brown showed a pulse in Wednesday's loss to Minnesota, but must build on that performance before there will be a run on #54 jerseys at Champs.  Smush Parker put a fright into fans with his scoring goose egg against the Wolves, but in the end, it might be good to help fans temper their expectations a little.  20 points a game is probably too much to ask.  As the season progresses, 12-15 would work just fine.

Here's what's on tap:

It's about half an hour before tip off in tonight's battle for third place supremacy in the Staples Center mini-tourney. Tonight's victims, with any luck: The Charlotte Bobcats. Or as they're sometimes known as, the Charlotte Tarcats or Bobheels. Say what you want about this young, inexperienced expansion squad, but they make you work.  And given that The Lakers are still struggling on both ends of the court, and spent last season not exactly killing on back to backs, the boys in purple in gold need to bring it if they wanna bring home the Bronze.

Meanwhile, here's what went down, and what's on the horizon...

Aloha! 

The Lakers opened training camp this week in Honolulu with guarded optimism and a hole at the 2 large enough to swallow the Big Island.  After a pair of games we think took place against Golden State (Note to Comcast: We need Fox Sports Pacific Ocean), they’ve still got the guarded optimism, but that hole in the backcourt grew a lot bigger. 

THE WEEK THAT WAS:

Wednesday:  Before we had a chance to digest news that Luke Walton might open the season at as the starting shooting guard, a balky hammy put him out of commission for 2-6 weeks, giving everyone plenty of time to decide whether or not it was a good idea to begin with.  A Walton/Odom backcourt could generate serious ball movement, but since Luke's quickness (or lack thereof) at small forward was a problem, he could struggle to survive on both ends as a 2, even with a good hammy.  And consistently putting Kobe on opposing guards could frequently land #8 in early foul trouble and force him to use up valuable offensive energy.  Meanwhile, Smush Parker’s Lakers staged a furious comeback and took the season’s most meaningless game, 101-93.  Unfortunately for our man Smush (anyone named Smush, by definition, is our man), the Zen Master isn’t ready to even pencil him in as the fifth starter. 

Thursday: Sign that some Lakers are already in midseason form: Slava Medvedenko racked up four personals in only twelve minutes.  To be fair, a couple could have come guarding Adonal Foyle.  Hopefully, it’s just early rust for everyone else.  Veteran Aaron McKie didn’t hit a bucket, Lamar Odom went 2-8 from the floor (expect some bad shooting games while he concentrates on handling the ball and moving the offense), and the team shot 39%, including 14% from beyond the arc.  Yikes.  We’re not jumping to conclusions, but the Lakers still haven’t won a game since Walton got hurt.

THE WEEK THAT WILL BE:

Tuesday vs. Washington (in Bakersfield):  Chucky and Caron return, with a vengeance!  Or as much as they can muster for their 4^th preseason game.  The Wiz are counting on Butler and guard Antonio Daniels to fill the void left by the departed Larry Hughes and compliment Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison, so last year’s playoff appearance becomes a more regular thing.  In the meantime, preseason or not, if Kwame Brown isn't motivated to show his old team what they lost by giving up on him, even Tony Robbins couldn't light a fire under the kid. 

Odds on Brown and Arenas bumping fists before the tip: Even. Odds on that fist bump being any more than a formality: 10-1. Odds that Brown and Wiz Coach Eddie Jordan will speak: 250-1.

Thursday and Friday (Staples Center): The L.A. Shootout, with Charlotte, Denver, and Washington:  In the NBA’s answer to the Preseason NIT, four teams will kick around Staples over two evenings.  Thursday, L.A. plays the Nuggets, who, if memory serves, finished last year on a nine billion game winning streak (until the playoffs, that is).  Using the theory that a full season with George Karl is all they need to rise in the West, they left their roster essentially unchanged. Aside from getting three point guards (Andre Miller, Earl Boykins, Earl Watson) quality minutes and hoping K-Mart's completely healthy, ‘Melo and Co. don’t have many issues... except wondering how long Nene will wear powder blue before getting dealt or extended.

Friday, it’s either Washington again or Charlotte, where the expansion honeymoon is over!  Just kidding.  As long as UNC Southwest continues to display patience and a plan, Bobcats fans can hold onto hope.  Emeka Okafor, Sean May, Raymond Felton and Primoz Brezec form a young, promising core, while Gerald Wallace provides scary athleticism (just don’t let impressionable kids watch him shoot). Will SG Kareem Rush try to stick it to the team that dealt him by jacking up as many jumpers as possible?  The Lakers hope so, since he shot only 38.7% last season.