What don't we know? Well, for starters, how the heck is this team going to win any games?
So far, it seems safe to say that won't happen on the defensive end—not if head coach Byron Scott is counting on longtime matador Carlos Boozer to step up as a stopper. The Lakers already rank at or near the bottom of the league in a number of key defensive categories, including an NBA-worst defensive rating of 117.4 points allowed per 100 possessions, per NBA.com.
Not even an uncharacteristic effort on that end from Captain Yell Crew himself is likely to put much of a dent in those depressing stats.
The point is, if these Lakers are going to win any games, they're going to have to do so by outscoring their opponents.
To that end, L.A. already has a solid foundation on which to build. With his lost 2013-14 campaign behind him, Bryant is back to his high-scoring ways, pouring in 27.6 points per game—the second-highest mark in the Association, behind only Klay Thompson's 29.7, through Nov. 4.
Some good that's done the Lakers, though. They're winless all the same, albeit after facing four Western Conference playoff hopefuls (i.e. the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns twice).
Clearly, Kobe can't do it all on his own, though that's not likely to stop him from trying. Bryant did his darndest during the Lakers' latest game against the Suns, with a 39-point, nine-rebound performance that placed him in some rarefied air among the NBA's all-time elder statesmen.
Trouble is, the Laker...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
