Los Angeles Lakers Must Win Now Before Digging Themselves Into a Hole

After an 0-2 start to the 2011-12 season, there really is no need to get ready to push the panic button in Lakerland just yet.

But there should be a sense of urgency.

The Los Angeles Lakers need to win and win now before digging themselves into a big hole.

When the Lakers host the Utah Jazz Tuesday night, it's not a must-win situation, but they need to get things together very quickly.

This isn't a normal NBA schedule as evident by the Lakers playing a back-to-back-to-back to begin the season. With only 66 games packed into just a few months, there isn't much practice time for teams. Losing and bad habits can snowball on teams, even the Lakers, and by the time they get things figured out it could be too late.

Sure, the Lakers will get better when Andrew Bynum gets back in the lineup, but if the Lakers sit at 1-3 or 0-4 by that time, it's an ugly start to the season. It wouldn't be the end of the world, but they definitely will have some work to do to get better.

If that's the case, when will they get the time to iron things out?

After a day off following the Utah game, the Lakers play their next six games in the span of eight nights. That doesn't allow for a lot of practice time. It's the nature of the beast. All teams have to go through it this year.

The problem is that if the Lakers come out of that stretch struggling, 15 percent of the season is already gone.

While you don't want to panic over early losses, the shortened schedule makes the urgency to win a must.

Then there are the other factors.

How quickly does Kobe Bryant change his tune and become angry if the Lakers don't start winning and winning quickly? He's a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, and if the wins don't start coming, Bryant could begin expressing his disapproval.

That could lead to some quick dissension in the Lakers' locker room.

Then there is new Lakers head coach Mike Brown.

What kind of leash will he be given?

Losing often creates a rift between superstar and coach. If that happens in Los Angeles, things could get ugly quickly.

That's another reason why the Utah game is already an important one for the Lakers.

No team can afford to dig themselves a big hole in this shortened NBA season.

Dig yourself too big of one, and there may be no climbing out.