Thunder vs. Lakers: Kobe and Bigs Must Mesh to Be Serious Contenders in Playoffs

At times, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol looked unstoppable during Kobe Bryant's absence.

Now the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a situation similar to the Chicago Bulls. Both teams are welcoming back their superstars as they head into the postseason.

Both teams experienced some success in their star's absence.

It's obvious, they need their stars to be serious contenders. But how do you capture some of the assertiveness the bigs showed without Bryant—and blend it with him now that he has returned?

If the Lakers can solve that issue, they are the best team in the West.

The Thunder have laid claim to that title all season long, but they have recently given way to the San Antonio Spurs for the conference's best record.

The Spurs have played well, winning six straight—but I still believe the West will come down to the Lakers and Thunder.

Because of that, it's important that the Lakers win this game. They need to play well against the teams they figure to run into late in the playoffs.

It's just a regular season game, but this season is just about at its end, and LA has the pieces in place.

The void at point guard has been addressed and before Bryant returned—Metta World Peace had been playing well. He was averaging 16 points in his last six games.

He scored 10 points in Kobe's return, which was a 121-97 blowout loss to the Spurs.

Bynum and Gasol were averaging 43 points and 20 rebounds in their last seven games before Bryant's return. The Lakers were 5-2 in that stretch.

In the most recent loss to the Spurs, Gasol and Bynum combined for 28 points and 10 rebounds.

As I said, the Lakers are not better without Kobe, but they must find a way to keep the frontcourt productive with him on the floor.

If the Lakeshow can put together a signature performance that sees Bryant, Gasol and Bynum with 20 points apiece, it would be ideal. When the scoring is spread around that way, the bigs rebound and defend.

When that happens, the Lakers are almost unbeatable.

Follow @BrianMazique