Why Everyone Was Wrong to Write the Los Angeles Lakers Off

There are certain teams where, when it comes to anything to do with the team, there only exists overreaction, for better or worse. Perhaps no team fits this description more than the Los Angeles Lakers. 

If the Lakers win two games in a row, they are "back on track" and "going to win Kobe Bryant's sixth ring." If they lose two in a row they are in dire need of rebuilding and have no chance of making the playoffs. 

When the Lakers dropped their first two games of the year, needless to say, there were those who were ready to write them out of the championship picture. I'm not talking about just some "hater" here. I'm talking about the LA Times.  

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Every failed closeout, every missed shot and every Kobe Bryant wince brings an unsettling reminder.

The Lakers' 0-2 record may be only a small sample size of their 66-game season, but it's enough to prove what many already knew before the season even started. The Lakers lack a championship-caliber roster, unless the team's front office suddenly lands Dwight Howard or Deron Williams.

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The Lakers lost their first two games! Let's rush and repeatedly pound on the panic button until it breaks!

Doubtless now that Andrew Bynum is coming back it's going to be time to start printing championship T-Shirts and tickets to the finals.

Let's take a step back and measure things with a dose of reality. With Andrew Bynum yet to play his first minute the Lakers are a Derrick Rose "Kobe shot" from being 3-1. That is not too bad. 

On the other hand they got their shorts handed to them by the Sacramento Kings. That is not  too good. 

The Lakers are a good enough team to win it all, but their chances could be improved with the right trade. This trade does not need to be a major move. In fact, a major move could seriously jeopardize their chances of winning. 

Few, if any NBA championships saw midseason trades that involved turnover in the top two or three players on the team. There were the '95 Rockets who acquired Clyde Drexler, but that was more addition without subtraction. 

There was the Detroit Pistons acquisition of Rasheed Wallace, but again, the Pistons gave up Lindsey Hunter and Chucky Atkins to get him. They didn't give up key players to their core. 

Even in '07, when the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol in a midseason deal, they did not win the title. It took a full season together before they were able to get to that level. 

That's why I don't think this is the time to hit the panic button. In an age where measured response means 100 percent or nothing, that might be difficult for some to grasp. However, the thing is, it's better to leave the core intact. 

In reality, the Lakers are an upgrade at point guard away from being right there with the Bulls and Heat in contention for a ring with the acquisition of a competent point guard. Derek Fisher is just no longer even at a level that can be described as slightly below average. 

Meanwhile, all the way across the Staples Center there sits a man on the bench who is a starting caliber point guard. The Clippers are absolutely loaded at the position but could use a defensive stopper at the wing. 

The Lakers have two such players in Metta World Peace and Matt Barnes. With their trade exception in hand, they could offer Barnes. If that doesn't work, they could offer World Peace. I mean, who's going to resist world peace?

A simple upgrade at point guard coinciding with the return of Andrew Bynum puts the Lakers squarely into the hunt. They still have Bryant. They still have Bynum. They still have Gasol. There really is no need to destroy the team and start over. This really is a case of less is more.