Los Angeles Lakers: 5 Bold Predictions for Second Half

As the second half of the NBA season begins later this week, the Lakers look to make a charge back up the Western Conference ladder.

The Lakers currently sit at fifth in the convoluted Western Conference. That's not a familiar spot for a franchise traditionally contending for championships year in and year out.

While the hierarchy at the top may have changed, there's still ample time for the Lakers to finish the season strong and make some noise in the playoffs.

Let's take a look at five bold predictions forthcoming in the second half of the season... 

Metta World Peace Will Be Productive

Metta World Peace has been a colossal disappointment thus far in the season.

The small forward is averaging an anemic 4.9 points per game on below 34 percent shooting from the field.

That's absolutely atrocious for a starting player in the NBA, let alone a former All-Star who's only 32 years old.

It is quite astounding how far World Peace's game has toppled off in the last two seasons. Remember, he was an athlete regularly putting up between 15-20 points per contest for years.

Although he's demonstrated abysmal play recently, he will turn it around in the second half of the season.

He's still an athlete with an ego, and in a city full of expectations, I fully believe he will want to prove himself and justify his relatively bloated contract.

In addition, the Lakers desperately need production from him.

The road to the finals is much more treacherous than in previous years. Every player on the roster needs to be clicking on all cylinders in order to take down foes such as the Thunder, Spurs, Clippers and Mavericks.

Call me crazy, but I think World Peace will double his scoring output and average close to 10 points per game for the duration of the second half.

Pau Gasol Will Play with a Vengeance

Poor Pau Gasol. He's been through a tumultuous season, to say the least.

The Spaniard was not only was traded before the season started (only to have that rescinded), but he's been the center of constant trade rumors for the last month—and it's undoubtedly weighing on his mind.

Despite all of that, I believe Pau will play with a vengeance and have a stellar second half to the season.

For one thing, he was immensely helped out by his teammate Kobe Bryant.

Not only did Bryant publicly back Gasol in regards to the latest trade rumors, but Bryant deflected the pressure off Gasol—and squarely placed it onto the Lakers management.

The backing of a teammate in a public fashion has to make Gasol feel pretty good, especially when that teammate holds the amount of clout that Bryant does.

Also, Gasol was excluded from the 2012 All-Star Game. Due to that, I'd bet he'll be playing with a chip on his shoulder for the remainder of the season.

He is without a doubt a top-15 player in the entire world—and is easily one of the most skilled players in the league regardless of position (he's currently averaging 17 points per game and 10.6 rebounds a game).

The notion of a "chip on his shoulder" has already started. Right before the All-Star break, Gasol performed brilliantly against Western Conference foes Oklahoma City and Dallas.

In those two games, Gasol averaged 23 points and nine rebounds.

If the power forward isn't dealt by the March 15th deadline, he can perform without the pressure of a possible departure.

For those reasons, Gasol will have a monster second half of the season.

Bench Play Will Be Much Better

The bench production thus far in the season has been completely dreadful for the Lakers.

Currently ranked last in the NBA in bench points per contest, something has got to change. With this recent break, I believe that the reserves will get a jolt of energy and perform much better in the second portion of the season.

With Coach Mike Brown's new motion-based offense, a period of transition from the triangle offense under former Coach Phil Jackson was inevitable.

Couple that with the fact that the lockout caused a shortened training camp and the team hasn't quite gelled on the offensive side of the floor.

However, as the season progresses, the team will be come more comfortable within the parameters of the new offense.

Brown will continue to cement and signify the roles of the reserves, and that rotation looks to be more fortified.

Also, I just can't fathom the second unit shooting this poorly in the second half. This slump, however, does seem to be subsiding as both Matt Barnes and Andrew Goudelock have been effective of late.

The return of Steve Blake from injury also is paramount. Not only is he a stabilizer for the second unit, but he's also arguably the best outside shooter on the team.

With an aging starting five, some consistent pop and punch off the bench would be huge for the Lakers.

An Impact Move Will Be Made to Improve the Team

Although the front office may be in turmoil, there's no denying that the franchise will do everything it can in order to improve the roster before the trade deadline on March 15th.

There's no need to "blow up" the roster i.e. unequivocally trading either Gasol or Andrew Bynum.

On the contrary, I'd hold onto both because the duo of Gasol and Bynum represents a front-court force not seen by any other NBA team.

With that said, tweaks should and will be made—and that tweak should revolve around acquiring a point guard.

There are prevailing notions that have centered around Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Ramon Sessions, and most recently on Portland Trail Blazers point guard Raymond Felton.

Both would represent a huge upgrade over Derek Fisher. Also, both Sessions and Felton excel in the pick-and-roll game—a staple of Brown's offense. I'd see either working extremely well with Gasol in pick-and-pop situations.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley has also been a rumored trade target.

His scoring ability would be a welcomed sight to the bench—and if anything, he would be under a veteran presence to help him avoid maturity problems plaguing his past.

Over the weekend, there were reports that the retired forward Rasheed Wallace will sign with the Lakers.

I'm not sure Wallace is really the right answer, considering his penchant for outbursts, erratic behavior and technical fouls.

One thing is for certain, and that is the unabated desire to improve the roster via any sort of move.

Lakers Will Win the Pacific Division

Currently, the Clippers lead the Pacific Division by 1.5 games.

By the end of the season, their slim lead will dissipate, and the Lakers will once again win the division crown.

In terms of the Clippers, the loss of Chauncey Billups will be felt even more as the playoffs come near.

The last few regular-season games—mostly spent jockeying for playoff position—will have a new level of importance not seen by the majority of the young Clippers roster.

Billups' presence will be felt in the locker room, but that same level of experience as a floor general won't be available.

Ultimately, the lack of experience will cause the Clippers to falter and finish below the Lakers.

For the boys in purple and gold, experience will go a long way in helping them to finish ahead of their hallway foes.

The team has been there before, and they understand what it takes to finish out the season strongly before heading off to postseason play.

Another aspect is the fact that the team will continue to accrue a positive accord with the new offensive system.

The comfort factor will improve, and the crispness in which they operate on the offensive end will be enhanced considerably as the season progresses.

Defensively, the Lakers also rank first in the entire NBA in defensive efficiency, while the Clippers are 12th.

Due to their experience and defensive prowess, the Lakers will win the Pacific Division.