For the 2009-10 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the most disappointing and underachieving teams anyone has seen in a long time.
They are debate-ably the most talented team in the NBA considering their size, experience, youth, coaching staff, and Kobe Bryant. But they only managed to squeeze out of the Western Conference in first place with 57 wins and had the third-best record in the league.
Considering all they've been through this season, I say, not bad. And what I mean by that is injuries.
The Lakers were the most injured contending team in the league. There is no doubt about that.
If you look at just the starters, Ron Artest missed five games, Kobe Bryant missed nine games, and Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum missed 17 games a piece.
Not to mention that Kobe Bryant played through his injuries for most of the season.
When you have so many guys missing so many games, it throws off your team chemistry. The coach is forced to adjust rotations. Players who usually don't play as much, or at all for that matter, start getting significant playing time.
A lot of things change when your missing your key players.
This is the part where your going to say, "So what? Every team has to deal with injuries."
So true, but how many teams can play through injuries the way the Lakers did?
I'll say it again, considering their injuries, winning 57 games and clinching the Western Conference for the third straight year is pretty damn impressive.
Yet, it wasn't good enough. They were criticized, doubted, laughed at, and some people went as far as saying that the Lakers were going to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Those people should be shunned from society.
Actually, they have just been shunned. I have shunned them.
Shunned!
Anyway, back...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
