Soobum Im- US Presswire
Tragedy has once more reared its ugly head at the expense of the Los Angeles Lakers. The season has been marred with turmoil, disappointment, and injuries. The latter of the aforementioned continues to plague the Lakers now, despite being in need of some luck.
In Friday’s critical playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs, Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks will definitely be out, and Steve Nash will be unlikely to play. So, the combination of Meeks, Blake, Nash, and Kobe Bryant injured means the Lakers will have to go into a must win situation without their 4 primary guards.
What does this mean for the Lakers? Disaster in the backcourt.
I believe Mike D’Antoni is going to start Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris on Friday, which means that Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are going to unleash a scoring clinic on the Lakers. It wouldn’t surprise me if the two combined to put up over 50 points.
With that, the struggle that was the Lakers offense will take an even bigger hit. With Blake, Nash, and Meeks gone the Lakers will have to rely on Goudelock and Morris to hit shots off the kick-outs from Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard, on account of the inevitable double-teams.
The Lakers now can only hope for two things, both of which are highly unlikely. First, Gasol and Howard have to unreal performances! They have to put up the kind of numbers that are so insane that they make a viewer TiVo the game, just so he can watch and verify what he saw. I’m talking about close to 40 points each, and around 20 boards each, along with a nice handful of blocks and assists. Outrageous, I know.
The second miracle will have to come off the advice of Nash to Goudelock and Morris, which was simply “let it rip.” If Goudelock and Morris heed Nash’s command, and just play like they have nothing to lose, which they essentially don’t, and somehow manage to score 20 apiece, then the Lakers will be looking in good shape. But again, that’s an outrageous claim.
Alas, I can hope for a miracle, but I’ll be more realistic and just hope that Howard stays at the end of the year.
