Waking up on Tuesday morning, the Los Angeles Lakers are a mediocre 7-7. Shockingly, the Lakers are only a game back of first place in the Pacific Division.
Just as a certain segment of Los Angeles was ready to jump ship on the Lakers and hop on another Clippers bandwagon, the Clippers lost four in a row. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors have managed to win five of their last seven games to join the Clippers at 8-6 on the young season -- the best record in the Pacific division.
The rough start has the Lakers tied for eighth in the Western Conference. Memphis and San Antonio have come out guns blazing, and the Lake Show has already been an early casualty to both teams. Currently, the Lakers sit 4.5 games back of the Grizzlies, who own the best record in the conference and the league.
Miami and Oklahoma City, last year’s NBA finalists, have also started the 2012-13 season with renewed commitment to returning to the NBA Finals. OKC is 11-4 and a game back of first place, while the Heat lead the East with a 10-3 mark.
The two New York-based teams, the Knicks and the Nets, are both a game back of Miami. Both teams feature noticeably refreshed rosters that have ameliorated the level of basketball. Last year, the Knicks earned the seventh seed, and the Nets were 22 games below .500.
The Nets now reside in Brooklyn, and the first ever battle of the boroughs took place on Monday night at the new Barclay’s Center. Brooklyn took the first round with an overtime win.
Back in Los Angeles, the Lakers are already 0-1 against their Staples Center co-tenants. The next meeting comes on Jan. 4. The Lakers have 14 games in December, so it may be too early to start looking ahead to the next battle for Los Angeles.
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However, with the Lakers only one game back of the division lead, it is never too early to start looking ahead to some winning. Next up for the Lake Show, the Indiana Pacers visit Staples Center on Tuesday night.
