Washington will try to find it against hot Lakers
The Wizards will wear throwback Chicago Zephyrs jerseys tonight. If only they could really turn back the clock.
With a 3-13 record, the Wizards have matched their worst start in franchise history. In an effort to find answers, Washington conducted practice Thursday, an unusual measure considering the team usually rests after playing back-to-back nights.
The deviation from routine also has something to do with tonight’s opponent. The Los Angeles Lakers (15-2) bring Kobe Bryant, the NBA’s second-best record, and perhaps the league’s deepest rotation.
“They’re playing better than anyone in the NBA right now,” said Wizards guard Antonio Daniels. “Obviously it’s a great challenge for us as a team and a great opportunity.”
This season has been about opportunities lost for the Wizards, who have fallen eight times after holding a fourth-quarter lead. Wednesday’s 98-92 loss to Portland was the latest in a series of final-period meltdowns.
“We’re going with younger guys, learning how to close out games,” said interim coach Ed Tapscott. “Every possession is valuable. That’s a learning process. You can’t get discouraged. These are some of the growing pains that will come while our young guys gain that experience.”
The learning curve will be steep tonight against the Lakers, who look improved over last season when they made the NBA Finals. The biggest difference is center Andrew Bynum, who is back from a knee injury that cost him the second half of last season. The 7-footer combines with 7-0 Pau Gasol to give the Lakers unmatched presence and athleticism inside.
“It’s enabled me to pick my spots,” said Bryant, who is averaging 25.1 points. “I can sit back in the pocket, get Bynum going, get Pau going. In the past, when I tried to pick those spots, the game slipped away.”
Another difference-maker has been 6-8 Trevor Ariza, a blossoming 23-year-old, who brings defensive pressure and scoring punch (9.9 ppg) off the bench. Versatile 6-11 Lamar Odom has also thrived as multi-position option off the bench.
Most importantly, the Lakers are buying in to lessons learned in losing in six games to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals last year.
“Last year was such a good learning experience for us, understanding how defense and rebounding win championships,” said Bryant. “We had to address it, make it our top priority this season.”
