Lakers Struggle to Find Identity Without Bynum, Suns Roll Back Into First

Was it just me or did the Lakers look more confused within the triangle offense than ever before?

Kobe dominated the opening 12 minutes of the game, but decided to pull back the reigns for the next 24.

The Lakers could have used a more aggressive Bryant to stem the tide, as the Phoenix Suns rolled over the Lakers—and back into first place in the Western Conference in the process, 106-98.

From the opening tip it was ugly, and for Kwame Brown the night progressively worsened. Brown had a stretch of about six minutes in the third quarter that mirrored a performance turned in by a Washington General—except in this case, Mr. Brown was not deliberately stumbling, bumbling and handing the ball to the opposition. Amare Stoudamire made him look like a juvenile, and Brian Skinner made Kwame look like he was the veteran on the downside of his career.

Needless to say, Kwame was mistreated by the Phoenix Suns. But I'm sure that it did not hurt as much as being mistreated by the home crowd.

Laker fans, partially due to frustration caused by the loss of Andrew Bynum for two months, and partially fueled by Kwame's lackluster play, incessantly booed Brown as his teammates tried to help him brake out of the quarter-long funk he was in. The boos came frequently and mercilessly.

Kwame's teammates did not share the sentiments of the fans.

"I thought it was terrible," Kobe Bryant said of the fans' behavior. "If they want to do that, they can stay home. He's going to be our guy here for two months. He's going to do fine, he's going to play well the next game.

"Kwame's sensitive. You boo him, it's going to affect him. I told him I've got his back."

Kobe's running mates also thought the fans should have been more supportive of one of their own.

Jordan Farmar said, "That's just not right. If you're here as a Laker fan, you should support your team through the good, the bad, the ugly. That's what home court is all about."

Outside the Kwame spectacle, Lamar Odom gave a solid effort. He did not shoot exceptionally well from the field, but he tied a career-best 19 rebounds and poured in 19 points to match.

Kobe Bryant came alive in the latter half of the fourth quarter and buried a couple miraculous threes to finish with 30 points. Jordan Farmar chipped in an 16 points, with 12 coming in the fourth quarter in the midst of a gritty comeback that brought the Lakers back from 18 down to within as close as six.

But the Lakers simply did not have enough to match the Suns. Steve Nash had a season-high 20 assists, most to a wide open Boris Diaw, who had a solid shooting game with 19 points. Leandro Barbosa came back from a prank call to his hotel earlier in the morning—in which he was told he had been traded to the New York Knicks—and hit for 22 points.

The Lakers were in need of an additional few points, some assistance for Kobe and Lamar, someone to step forward—and on this night, Kwame Brown did not cut it.

The Lakers (26-12) fell to second place in the Pacific Divison behind the Suns (27-12). Lakers fans must realize that Bynum will be back, the Lakers will struggle, and Kwame Brown is here to stay. How quickly we forget who made the winning free throw on Monday night.

The Lakers play in a special Martin Luther King Day game on Monday, January 21st at 7:30 pm at Staples Center.