On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers are in Indianapolis to take on the Indiana Pacers, and these two teams could not be on further ends of the spectrum.
The Pacers are the best team in the East, and the Lakers are the worst team in the West. The Pacers have won seven of the last 10 games, and the Lakers have lost seven of their last 10 games. All things considered, the Pacers are one of the favorites to win the title this season and for the foreseeable future, and the Lakers, well, are not.
This season, the Lakers are so far behind the Pacers that even if the Lakers had twice as many wins at this point in the season, they would still fall four wins short of Indiana.
At home, Indiana is the best team in the league with only three losses in 29 games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. On the road, the Lakers have 10 wins in 29 games. To say that the Lakers are long shots would be accurate, but that does not mean the Lakers are hopeless on Tuesday.
Indiana is facing the Lakers after dropping three of its last six games, so the Pacers appear as vulnerable as ever. With new addition Evan Turner yet to debut, the Lakers may catch the Pacers in a state of transition, as Indiana goes through the growing pains of adding another talented component to an already impressive roster.
For the Lakers, the new additions of Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks have provided new life and healthy young athletes to the squad. However, Nick Young, who complained of soreness and pain in his knee after Sunday's game, will miss both games on the trip. For the third game in a row, Bazemore should get an opportunity to shine, and his energy has been welcomed on and off the court.
However, talent is still a bit short for this Lakers squad, as it has been all season long. For the umpteenth time this season, the Lakers will look to overcome talent with energy. For the LA crowd, the Lakers at Pacers tips-off earlier than normal: 4pm PST.
