Halftime Hype

As the Los Angeles Lakers tipoff in Portland, a fan can only hope that the basketball gods break their routine and allow Kobe & Co. to escape unscathed. If history is any indication, this game should already be added to the loss column. The Lakers are 4-18 in their last 22 meetings and the Lakers have not been able to finish a back-to-back stretch with a win at all this season.

There's a simple key to victory though that Dwight Howard touched on: the Lakers must "play big." It's no secret that the Lakers are an old, slow team. The only unique advantage that separates this squad from the other 29 in the Association is its frontcourt starring two future Hall-of-Fame, seven-footers in Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. If the Lakers slow down this game and make the Trailblazers battle the bigs down low, the Lakers will secure a much-coveted win.

From this point on, sitting half a game ahead of the Utah Jazz, the Lakers control their destiny. Basically, they need a squeeky clean record the rest of the way. There's especially no room for error since the Jazz own the tiebreaker. A win tonight is not enough for the Lakers though. Coach Mike D'Antoni has to watch Kobe's minutes. Even if the Lakers make the playoffs - and right now that's a big "if" - will the Black Mamba have enough gas left in the tank to lead the Lakers past the first round?

In Halftime Hype's 2013 State of the Lakers address, I mentioned that the Los Angeles Lakers must seize easy victories and at least prove themselves as formidable foes against the NBA's elite teams. Fortunately for L.A., everyone - not just Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Dwight Howard - has stepped up, the team is now two games above .500, and the Lakers are currently tied with the Utah Jazz for the final playoff spot in the West. Although Utah would win the tiebreaker, the Jazz have a significantly more challenging schedule ahead of them than do the Lakers.

May Lakers' owner Jerry Buss, who passed away today due to cancer, forever rest in peace.

In the offseason before 2013, who would have thought that at the All-Star break, the San Antonio Spurs would have the best record in the league while a 25-29 Lakers squad remained 3.5 games out of the playoffs? Indeed, there have been many unexpected twists and turns for the Lakers this season. Pundits continue to offer their thoughts on how to turn the Lakers around, as humorously seen in Saturday Night Live's spoof of ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith.

Let's take a quick look back at the Lakers' most recent outings. Other than a disappointing three-game losing streak on the road at Miami (Jan. 17), Toronto (Jan. 20), and Chicago (Jan. 21), the Lakers actually won all games they should have, with the exception of a narrow loss at Phoenix (Jan. 30). They almost beat the Miami Heat until crucial fourth quarter turnovers resulted in a 107-97 loss (Feb. 10).

Although the NBA landscape may change dramatically after the upcoming trade deadline, the Lakers' roster will likely remain in tact. Yes, there have been rumors about a possible Dwight Howard trade, one scenario even sending him to the Celtics for Rajon Rondo. However, as Lakers GM Mitch Kuptchak confessed, such a deal is highly unlikely. Throughout the remainder of the season, the Lakers must work with the pieces they have.

Kobe Bryant as facilitator has proven effective. His career-tying 14 assists against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 26 led the Lakers to a 102-84 blowout victory. Similarly, the Lakers only needed 4 points from Bryant for a win against the Suns on Feb. 13. Now, obviously, every game will be different. There will be games where Bryant will needed to shift his focus to scoring. Generally, though, the newfound approach of Bryant as point guard and Steve Nash at shooting guard has produced beautiful offense for the Lakers.

With Pau Gasol out until the end of the season, the Lakers desperately need Dwight Howard to step his game up. Howard must continue to play through the pain and manage his frustration. He must change his attitude, which former Laker Rick Fox called "a loser's mentality." Fans understand that Howard is coming off a major injury. No one is mad at Howard for that. Criticism of Howard has been that he hasn't been trying his best. Nights like his 19 point, 18 rebound performance against the Suns offer hope for the remaining games.

A boost from the bench is always helpful too. Coach Mike D'Antoni has showcased his fair share of enigmatic rotations and substitutions this season, but the reserves are finally starting to gel. Antawn Jamison was a force to be reckoned with 19 points against the Suns. Jodie Meeks stepped up with 13 points in the Lakers' 125-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers (Feb. 14). If the bench can provide consistent points, the Lakers will make the playoffs.

If you had told me during the offseason that a starting lineup comprised of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard would struggle to even make the playoffs, I would have laughed in your face. In light of injuries, we really do not know what this Lakers team, when healthy, is fully capable of. What is certain is that the Lakers chances of making the playoffs are declining while they continue to solidify themselves as the biggest disappointment in professional sports. The multi-million dollar question at this point is: Will the 'Lake Show' go on?

The squad has shown sparks of promise. Recent narrow losses against the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, and Miami Heat provided glimpses of hope. The litmus test will be how they perform from now until the All-Star break. Home games against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 27 and Clippers on Feb. 14 will be key matchups.

More importantly, though, will be how the Lakers can handle themselves on the road. They need to take care of business against teams with losing records at Toronto (Jan. 20), Phoenix (Jan. 30), Minnesota (Feb. 1), Detroit (Feb. 3), and Charlotte (Feb. 8). However, the dates that Lakers fans have circled on their calendars are Feb. 7 and Feb. 10, when the Lakers travel to Boston and Miami, respectively. Those are monumental, momentum-shifting victories if the Lakers can seize them.

At this point, the Lakers must find a way to effectively utilize the pieces they have since there are not many trade options available. Bryant must continue to guard the opposing team's best backcourt player. This strategy has proven successful against the Clippers and Heat, when Bryant contained Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade, respectively. Nash must continue observing the styles of his teammates to find them when they're open, but also be more assertive with regard to scoring.

Earl Clark has become the team's X-factor. The sky is the limit for him. Coach Mike D'Antoni must find a way to harness Clark's skills but also keep an increasingly unhappy Pau Gasol focused. Howard will obviously continue to practice his free-throw shooting but the Lakers may want to explore other strategies for late-game situations since Howard's free-throw shooting has undoubtedly cost the Lakers some games.

Collectively, the Lakers need to step up offensively. As great as he is, Bryant cannot single-handedly guide the Lakers to victories against elite teams. What Bryant can do, as a 12-time All-Defensive player is provide stops and buckets here and there. But he desperately needs his teammates to share the offensive load.

For now, we must sit back and see how the Lakers perform in this next stretch of games.