To be honest, I am very impressed with the Los Angeles Lakers halfway through the season. They are only 5 games back of the Phoenix Suns and are somehow putting together more wins than many expected. The only offense they have is Kobe Bryant, but he seems to be enough on most nights. Their defense is solid and can keep them close enough for Kobe to work his magic.

Is there anything you can say to describe Kobe’s performance so far? How about unbelievable? That still doesn’t really describe it, but it’s as close as I can do. He’s already outscored a team through 3 quarters (Dallas 62-61) and put up 81 points (2nd highest in NBA history). I’m almost afraid to see what he does the rest of the season. Unfortunately, one person cannot win championships. He is going to need someone like Odom to step up and start taking some of the weight off of his back. Some nights he can do it all, but if he can only put up 40, he’s going to need other people to help him.

Defensively the Lakers are alright. Nothing spectacular like the Pistons or the Spurs, but it’s good enough. They can get the big stop when they need it, and that is the most important thing to do.

B