October 1st means that it is officially the best month of the year. The Lakers play only two regular season games in this month, but they start there season this month and I don't know about anybody else but I am super excited. I am already tired of football season and baseball season does not appear to have the one team I really follow competing. Thus, Basketball season couldn't have come any sooner.
The Lakers open their season October 30th against the Mavericks. Possibly the only team in the NBA to have more questions about the team than the Lakers at this point. It is going to be interesting to see who they put out on the floor in that first game. I know the Lakers could have a slightly different starting roster than many fans would want on opening night. The fact of the matter is we are still not sure if Dwight will be ready by the season opener.
Many questions are circling around Laker land. Will Dwight's back be ready by opening night? Will he even be healthy enough to play an entire season? Those are two questions we probably won't know for sure for a couple more weeks. What about all the other questions? Has the bench been improved enough to challenge the Thunder and Heat? Are Kobe and Nash going to play well together.
So many questions that could not have answer any time soon. Kobe will be ready to play. He has that unbelievable ability to prepare himself for any situation. Unfortunately, this situation is a little different than one he has found himself surrounded with in a few years. A big man that demands the ball in the post is not something Kobe has had to worry about since Shaq departed Lala land. Also, having a point guard who commands the ball most of the game is vastly different.
The answer to every question about the Lakers won't be discovered until we see the team in full force. Injuries and chemistry are not something that change over night. They take time and more time. The Lakers are lucky enough to possess the talent necessary to live without Howard for a little while until he recovers fully. The entire team will change when he comes back though. He is a game changer on both ends meaning that you have to adjust your offense and defense to fit his strengths, but can his and Kobe's strengths benefit the whole team.
I don't really want to wait any longer to see what this team is going to become. I need a crystal ball to tell me how this experiment works out. If it is going to be another year like the one in 2004 with the Glove and the Mailman, I might choose to stick to college basketball. I am assuming that by the All-Star break all Laker fans should be aware of how this team is going to do in the playoffs. Another early post-season flame out or a title contender? The questions are all unanswered.
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