NBA Playoffs 2011: Burning Questions Facing Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers
After one of the more intriguing regular seasons in recent memory, the 2011 NBA Playoffs are finally set to tip off this weekend.
There's no shortage of interesting story lines to keep track of, but, of course, all eyes will be on Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers as they set out on the quest to become the Lords of the Ring for the third year in a row.
And, as always, there is plenty of drama and intrigue surrounding the purple and gold now that the chase for the Larry O'Brien Trophy has begun anew.
With tougher competitors and more uncertainty surrounding their own roster than ever before, this year's road to the NBA Finals will be the most difficult yet for this group of Lakers.
Here are some of the most pressing concerns facing the Lake Show this spring. Their ability to answer them may very well determine whether the string of parades down Figueroa Street continues.
How Might Kobe's Foul Mouth Affect the Team?
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It's often said that "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," soon after which an astute listener notes that this saying is just a bit outdated.
Someone should have told Kobe Bryant that before he shot off an anti-gay slur at referee Bernie Adams during the Lakers' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.
Whether Kobe "meant" to offend anyone is irrelevant—the court of public opinion doesn't allow for appeals, only the passage of time.
Now, far be it for anyone to think that the Lakers, of all teams, can't handle intense media scrutiny, but there's no telling what kind of circus awaits Kobe in whatever cities he travels to during the playoffs or how he'll deal with it.
Chances are, Kobe will grit his way through it, just as he has pushed his way through challenges and transgressions in the past.
What's the Deal with Andrew Bynum's Knee?
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At this point, the biggest on-court concern for the Lakers is the status of Andrew Bynum's perpetually pummeled right knee.
Bynum hyperextended it in the aforementioned game against the Spurs, leaving Laker Nation gasping in horror even as he walked off the court under his own power.
Luckily, Bynum said after the game that his knee is fine and he should be ready to go for the Lakers' playoff opener at home against the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday.
More than ever, LA's dreams of championship glory rely on Bynum's ability to anchor the team's defense for the next six weeks.
If Bynum can stay relatively healthy, the Lakers will remain the favorites to three-peat. If he can't, well...there's always next year?
Will the Team's Roller Coaster End to the Season Ruin a Potential Playoff Run?
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Before Bynum's knee went bunk, the Lakers looked like they were finally rounding into shape, winning 17 of 18 games after the All-Star break.
Then, as quickly as the team flipped the light switch on, they seemingly flipped it back off, losing five in a row before closing out the season with wins against the Spurs and the Kings.
This quick shift has left many wondering who these Lakers really are heading into the playoffs, or rather who they will be when the going gets tough.
Will they be as good as they were right after the All-Star break, or will they be as bad as they were closing out the season?
There's no doubt fans in LA are hoping for the former, though the latter seems to be just as distinct a possibility.
How Long Will the Lakers' Attention Span Last?
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The Lakers' precipitous drop in play towards the end of the season also brought into question whether this team is hungry enough to win it all again.
After all, Kobe and company have played well over 100 games a season over each of the past three, losing in the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in 2008 before winning the last two.
The NBA Playoffs are a grind like no other in American professional sports, and it takes an incredible amount of focus and dedication for a team to get to the NBA Finals once, much less four times in a row.
It seems likely that the Lake Show will be much more amped for playoffs than they were for the last seven games of the regular season.
How energized they'll be, or whether they'll have enough stamina to see this postseason through to a championship conclusion, remains to be seen.
Are the Lakers Still the Best in the West?
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Given who the Lakers are bound to face on their way to a third consecutive title, they'll certainly need to get their mojo in order quickly.
Their first-round series against the Hornets, sans David West, shouldn't be too much a struggle. though it wouldn't be all that surprising if LA relinquished a game or two to make things interesting.
Not that things won't get interesting in the second round, where the Lakers figure to face the Dallas Mavericks, assuming Dirk Nowitzki can lead his fun bunch past Portland in the first round.
And, assuming enough goes well for the Purple and Gold to make it back to the Western Conference Finals, they'll have to deal with either the San Antonio Spurs or, perhaps even more likely, the Oklahoma City Thunder—everyone's dark horse championship team.
Anything but a cake walk, though the Lakers haven't exactly waltzed their way into the NBA Finals the past three years either.
Can LA Beat the Beasts of the East?
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Should the Lakers survive the gauntlet of the Western Conference playoffs, they'll be rewarded with a series against one of the Eastern Conference's powerhouses before they can hope to take home another Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Against the three most likely opponents—the Chicago Bulls, the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics—the Lakers compiled a 2-4 record, which they'll certainly have to improve upon come May if the ring really is the thing.
The Bulls, winners of nine straight, are playing the best ball of any team heading into the playoffs and managed to shoot past San Antonio to secure home court throughout the postseason in the process.
At 58-24, the Heat would also own the home-court edge over the Lakers—as if the trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh wasn't enough of an obstacle to overcome.
And the Celtics? Well, LA would have the home-court advantage in a series against Boston, though the Celts would clearly own the motivational edge after coming within a few minutes of a second championship in three years against the Lakers in 2010.
All in all, the road to the championship for this year's Lakers, though paved with plenty of past experience, is nonetheless riddled with potholes.
Will the Lakers Be Able to Overcome Their Own Core Concerns?
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Of course, the Lakers have plenty more of their own personnel issues to worry about before they can even begin to compare themselves to the rest of the field.
Will Pau Gasol stand up and be counted, or will he get pushed around and bullied by opposing big men?
Where is Ron Artest's head, and does it have a tracking number or a GPS locator attached to it?
Will Lamar Odom—arguably the most consistent Laker this season—continue his stellar play through May?
Does Derek Fisher have enough left in the tank to match up with (potentially) Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Russell Westbrook,Tony Parker AND Derrick Rose?
Chicken pox? Steve Blake? Really?
The ideal answers for Lakers fans? Yes, on his shoulders, yes, hope so, and I know...I know.
Will Phil Jackson Ride off into the Montana Sunset?
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The Lakers have known all season that this would be Phil Jackson's last go-round with the team.
In 11 seasons in LA, Jackson has led the Lakers to five championships in seven appearances in the NBA Finals, further cementing his status as the greatest coach in NBA history.
Kobe Bryant and his merry band of ballers are hoping to send the Zen Master off with one last ring to give him an even 12 for his career–six with the Bulls, six with the Lakers—in the course of an unprecedented four three-peats.
There would be no greater poetic justice than if that last ring came in an NBA Finals victory over the Chicago Bulls, the team with whom it all began, 20 years after Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen won their first ring.
And who, might I ask, did they beat in the 1991 NBA Finals?
Oh, just Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers.
Would there be any ending more befitting of Hollywood's team than payback two decades in the making?
Well, only if Phil gets to ride off into the sunset on his motorcycle with Jeanie Buss, the daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss.
