Published on Friday, March 05, 2010
By GREGG PATTON
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Lakers are looking a lot like champions lately. Champions who could use a postseason to reacquaint them with their sense of purpose.
Unfortunately, there are 19 games left in the regular season, which will have to be negotiated first.
After back-to-back road losses to non-contenders Miami and Charlotte -- one close one, one not-so-close one -- the Lakers were doing some needed peeking at their inner selves Friday night.
"I think our synergy is bad," Lamar Odom said. "You know, synergy -- our collective energy."
Center Andrew Bynum said the same thing, just another way.
"We're not playing together," he said. "We're discombobulated -- like we're playing five sets of one, instead of with each other."
We noticed.
In between the bad passes and the dribbles off their own knees against the Bobcats, the Lakers even appeared to exchange glares and not-so-pleasant pleas with each other.
Kobe Bryant snapped at Pau Gasol after one of Bryant's passes sailed past Gasol's fingers out of bounds. Gasol grimaced and shook his head.
The Lakers aren't always a "no-fault" team.
Jordan Farmar passed up a three-point shot from the corner as the first half was ending, instead firing a pass to Gasol under the basket. The ball skipped away as time expired. Gasol marched over to Farmar for an exchange of ideas.
"No, no, it's all about playing together, talking to each other," said Farmar, when asked if nerves were fraying on the court.
Maybe fraying nerves would be a good thing, if channeled the right way.
"I think it is time to get angry," Bynum said. "But angry at the right thing. We're angry at each other."
Bryant hinted that he might have some things to say to his teammates, who have been noticeably lacking in the energy department lately. Something about the difference between a team being hungry for its first championship and a team assuming a second championship is coming.
"This time last year, it probably would have been enough," said Bryant, when asked about the team's inability to summon the requisite amount of enthusiasm to dominate in this regular season.
The Lakers finished 65-17 last year. They are 46-17 today.
"I'll just communicate to my guys," said Bryant grimly after the Lakers were beaten by 15 points by the sub-.500 Bobcats. "Make sure we keep moving forward."
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