Lakers Reach 500

After six games in the 2013-2014 season the Los Angeles Lakers are 3-3.  That is not bad considering most NBA pundits and fans thought they would be holding onto one win now, especially with the last Laker left, Kobe Bryant, still injured.

Last night, the Lake Show traveled to hostile territory to face an old friend, more like new foe, Dwight Howard and the Rockets.  The Lakers looked smooth and fluid for the first half and midway through the third quarter until James Harden tried to show why he deserves to be considered a NBA elite.

I'm sorry, but I'm not on the Harden train, yet.  He is a good player; top 20 there is no question, but last night I saw flashes of the player he could be.  In the third quarter he took over and made it look easy; slicing to the basket, hitting the three-ball, dishing it to Parsons in the lane, and even blocking a few jump shots.  But I do have to mention, on straight up man-to-man, Steve Blake, who is in his late 30's beat him off the dribble, which is not okay!  I'm pretty sure even at his current age, Bill Russell, wouldn't let that happen.

To win the game last night the Lakers resorted to what is currently the worst part of NBA basketball -- fouling a player that doesn't have the ball to make him shoot free throws.  Yes, I know it's a part of the game, doesn't mean that I have to like it.  There is no integrity in resorting to such tactics.  Last year, when Howard was a Laker, teams deployed the same tactic and it worked.  Last night, it worked again.  Howard was only able to go fifty percent from the line in the 4th quarter and it cost his team.

Blake was able to hit a three to take the lead with under two seconds in the fourth quarter, and with the little time left the Rockets put up a pray that wasn't answered.

So the Lakers are at 500 with Kobe on the bench.  I know what the haters are thinking, Kobe is going to come back and make them worse because everyone will have to play according to him, that is, if he can even play.

Wrong.

Kobe has been ready to pass the torch in LA for a few years now.  And not because he can't still be the best, but rather, father time catches up to everyone.  Kobe doesn't want what happened to the Chicago Bulls after Michael Jordan left (the second time) to happen to the Lakers.  That franchise went down the drain immediately.  Jordan didn't leave an exit strategy and Kobe has been trying to do that.

Despite the way he plays and the decisions that he makes on the court, Kobe is always doing it for the betterment of the Lakers.  Only time will tell if Kobe is going to be able to return to his greatness.  I think that he can.  The Lakers need him on the court, if they want to have a chance to win a ring (a small chance I have accepted).  Even with one good leg Kobe is still better than 85 percent of the NBA players and that is real.  No matter what, he needs to be on the court so the currents Lakers can play with greatness and see what it is really all about, the team.

Mr. Felder