Los Angeles Lakers: 5 Positive Signs from the Team's First Week

The Los Angles Lakers are 3-3 after the first week of the season. While things could be better, they could certainly be a lot worse. 

While there are some fair criticisms of the team after the first week, there are some positive signs, too. Here are five things to look at if you just want to feel good about your Lakers today. 

The Team's Guts

There's no such thing as a "moral victory," but that doesn't mean you still can't respect it when teams gut it up in time of crisis.

With all the chaos surrounding the Lakers still fresh in the rear-view mirror—Andrew Bynum suspended, Kobe Bryant just learning of his wrist injury—people were expecting the Chicago Bulls to come in and blow out the Lakers. 

Rather, LA really sucked it up, even when they were down and came back to take a lead with just a few seconds left in the fourth quarter. If it weren't for the first game-winning shot of Derrick Rose's career, the Lakers would have won the game. 

The Lakers showed a lot of guts in that game. It's one positive sign that this team isn't ready to give up yet. 

Pau Gasol's Heart

There was some speculation that Pau Gasol was discouraged by his name being involved in so many trade talks. Rather than fold up, though, he's shown heart through the Lakers' first six games, playing like he intends to prove he belongs. 

Gasol's averaging 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game during the first six games. He's also leading the Lakers in minutes played and Win Shares.

Pau is engaged, not distracted, and it has to be encouraging to Lakers fans to be seeing him play with heart. 

Mike Brown's Head

Head coach Mike Brown has quickly established himself. At times you've wondered whether he shot himself in the foot and then you find out he did just the opposite. 

When he called out Kobe's decision-making, Bryant ended up agreeing with it. 

When the media questioned his shot selection, he came to Kobe's defense. 

Brown sent Metta World Peace to the bench, where he's become a leader of the second unit and a sixth man. 

Brown's defense is the fifth-best in the NBA right now in terms of defensive rating. 

Brown has his head on right, and he's made one good decision after another. He has some mighty big shoes to fill, but he's doing a good job so far being Mike Brown, and not trying to be Phil Jackson. 

Andrew Bynum's Back

Andrew Bynum is back...and boy is he back. 

"Dwight Howard? We don't need no stinkin' Howard" he seems to be saying with his performance. 

In the two games since he's returned, the Lakers center has been Howard-esque, averaging 23.5 points and 14.5 boards in his first two games. 

If Bynum can continue to play at the same level and stay healthy, he may be putting an end to all this trade talk before long. 

Kobe Byrant's Knee

Yes, Kobe Bryant has the wrist problem, but on the positive side, he does't have the knee problems slowing him down. 

He's not tottering around like an octogenarian, he's moving like he hasn't moved since he was spry young man. 

Eventually that wrist is going to get better. If he can have a healthy wrist and a healthy knee come postseason, the Lakers will be a very frightening team. 

They say it's not how you start, but how you finish. If that holds true, the Lakers are poised to be a team which could threaten the Thunder for the Western Conference Championship.