It is beginning to look like the Los Angeles Lakers have turned the corner. Their 100-94 win over the New York Knicks on Christmas day was their 5th straight win and they are beginning to look like a team coming together at the the right time. The Lakers look much better with Steve Nash back and running the point for them. Dwight Howard‘s defense is a game-changer for them and head coach Mike D’Antoni finally is getting something put of Pau Gasol. I can’t leave out how well Metta World Peace is playing for them this season. MWP looks like he’s in much better shape this season and he’s giving the Lakers that blue-collar toughness that every winning team needs. Throw in the fact that they have Kobe Bryant doing what he does and there is a lot of stuff to feel good about today if you are a Lakers fan.
This has not been a December to remember for the Brooklyn Nets. Coming off their 93-76 Christmas day loss at home to the Boston Celtics, the Nets are currently 3-9 this month and continue to struggle after getting off to a fast start to open the season. Their fast start to the season opened the door to high hopes and thoughts of the playoffs, however they have been exposed as a team that seems to be lacking an idenity. Is this a offense that should be running or is this a half-court and grind it out type of offense? Head coach Avery Johnson is already tinkering with the lineup and it doesn’t seem as if he and point guard Deron Williams are on the same page with the gameplan. If that’s the case then that’s major problem because Williams just happens to be the franchise player and is being paid $98 million to be that. I can’t help but wonder if Johnson is close to being on the hotseat because at the end of the day it’s all about winning. This team came into the season with high expectations and right now they are barely looking like a playoff team that’s losing more confidence with every loss.
It’s not time to worry about the Knicks but …. The red flags are definitely up on the New York Knicks. Losing to the Lakers on Christmas day isn’t the end of the world for a team that has a 20-8 record, however in December the Knicks have not been playing with the consistency that was there in November. Point guard Raymond Felton hasn’t looked right since injuring his hand and his shooting has went south. Felton shot 5 of 19 for 10 points in the loss to the Lakers and he’s clearly slumping with his game right now. If there is anytime that head coach Mike Woodson should consider giving Felton some rest to get healthy then it should be now. There is depth at the guard position with Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni and JR Smith so sitting Felton down for a bit might be the way to go for the long run. The Knicks are also relying a lot on their perimiter game and the live and die approach with all the shots their taking appears to be catching up with them. This team is thin in the post game and opposing teams know this and are beginning to take advantage.
The Knicks need Amar’e Stoudemire to help offset their issues in the frontcourt when he returns, which according to him could be around New Years Day. Stoudemire’s most likely coming off the bench when he comes back although that hasn’t been confirmed, however I think it’s the right move for him and for the team. There is still room for Stoudemire to get his touches and points as the top option off the bench. I still believe that Stoudemire is not going to cause chemistry problems for the Knicks when he returns and that he’s going to embrace whatever role Woodson has for him.
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