What Wounded Los Angeles Lakers Must Do to Reach NBA Finals

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a deep hole right now, but a few changes can put them back on track towards winning another championship.

Los Angeles is down 0-2 in the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and both losses were particularly painful for Lakers fans.

The first was a 29-point blowout. The second was much closer, but came after the Thunder went on a 9-0 run to end the game.

Here are the four things L.A. must do in order to get back to the finals.

1. Win the Next Two Games at Home

Oklahoma City is a difficult place to play, but the Lakers can now regain control of the series in the friendly confines of the Staples Center.

With a supportive crowd, Kobe Bryant does not have to come out firing and set the tone early. He can defer to the big men and let them establish themselves in the first quarter.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol face a tough matchup against Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka, both of whom are excellent defenders. However, the Lakers' frontcourt has unmatched length and skill on the offensive end. They'll need their bigs to play like they did for most of Game 2.

If Bynum and Gasol are able to make an impact in the paint, the Lakers will keep the game close. Then it will all be up to Bryant.

2. Continue to Trust Kobe Bryant in Crunch Time

Lakers fans were justifiably appalled at Bryant's performance down the stretch in Game 2.

Bryant's last field goal came with 6:43 left in the fourth quarter. For someone who considers himself the best closer in basketball, this is entirely unacceptable.

But nobody knows this better than Bryant himself, and he will respond.

Bryant is still the best player on the team, and the Lakers will only go as far as he can take them. If the rest of the Lakers give up on him, then L.A. is dead in the water.

3. Stay Committed to Defense

Mike Brown entered his first season with the Lakers preaching defense. He will have to yell a little louder to keep his team committed to playing hard on that end of the floor.

L.A. showed how good they can be defensively for parts of Game 2, but also showed how inconsistent they can be in Game 1.

The key to the team's defense is Bynum. If he is focused and determined, the Lakers are an excellent defensive team. If he is sulking because he hasn't received enough touches on offense, everything else falls apart.

It will take some tact on Brown's part to keep his touchy center locked in. If Bynum plays well defensively from here on out, the Lakers have a shot at turning this series around and continuing their playoff run.

4. Get More Out of the Supporting Cast

The Lakers have suffered all season from sub-par bench play. If the team is going to climb out of its current 0-2 hole, some of the role players will need to play above themselves.

The team will need more outings like the one Steve Blake had in Game 7 of the series against the Denver Nuggets.

Whether the production comes from Metta World Peace, Ramon Sessions, Matt Barnes or Blake, at least one member of the Lakers will need to step up and help the "big three." 

If the Lakers can't get a decent performance from its supporting cast in every game, they will struggle to stay alive in the postseason.