Lakers...Slip Slidin' Away

I had high hopes for the Lakers as they began their Grammy's Road Trip. They won their first four games and had a redeeming victory against Boston during that stint. As they headed into the last three games of the trip, I felt like they were getting some good momentum before the All Star Break. However, their winning streak came to a skid when they faced Orlando. Okay, I'll give them this one, the Magic are a pretty good team. I can understand this loss. Then they dropped the next game to the Bobcats. The Bobcats are ninth in the Eastern Conference. They are not even playing .500 ball...but apparently there is a curse for the Lakers against the Bobcats because we haven't won a game against them since 2008. Seriously? Last night we played the Cleveland Cavaliers. They are dead last in the Eastern Conference. Literally, the worst team in the entire league. This would be an easy game, right? This is a no-brainer for the Lakers. They could send in their 3rd string and still give the Cavs a beating. But, no. The Lakers looked tired, uninterested, and complacent. Gasol and Fisher had good nights, but everyone else looked like they were somewhere else mentally. Despite a very late push to close the gap and hopefully win the game, they still lost by five points. This is a team that just recently broke their consecutive 26 game losing streak, tying the all time record for most consecutive losses in league history. This is not a team that the defending champs should be losing to. But, again, the Lakers feel like they can turn it on in the post-season and win it all. The last few years, I think I have written a blog like this around this same time...and the Lakers have managed to win it all the last two seasons. So, maybe their theory has merit. But, one of these days, it will come back to bite them. I hope that the last third of the season (after the All Star Break) will find the Lakers building momentum and finally regaining the "eye of the tiger" that I mentioned in an earlier blog. But, the Bobcats? The Cavs? Seriously? Come on!