NBA Western Power Rankings Week 5: Thunder thrive, Grizzlies rise
By Tom West
Nov 29, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant speaks at a press conference after the game against the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
15th: Los Angeles Lakers (3 points)
By Tom West
Record: 2-15
Record last week: 0-3
As has been the trend for the entire season so far, the Lakers and their loyal fans endured another losing week as they reside at the bottom of the NBA’s power rankings. They lost all three of their games against the Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers and Indiana Pacers, although they never really had a chance in any.
Jordan Clarkson is playing well and shooting better than ever (43.1 percent from three), Julius Randle continues to impress as their future star, and Nick Young has actually been pretty efficient (41 percent from deep), but there’s no way the Lakers have been able to compete against many teams. With that in mind, they deserve credit for only losing to the Pacers 107-103, especially while Paul George is playing at his best.
However, last week was ultimately focussed around something far more significant than some inevitable losses. After 20 years in the NBA, Laker legend and basketball icon Kobe Bryant announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season. It’s a huge loss for those that love the game, as despite the fact that Father Time has defeated him now, he’s been one of the all-time greats for so many years and he’ll be sorely missed. The NBA just won’t be quite the same without Kobe in it.
Even if they can’t hope to win many games, the Lakers can at least rally their efforts to make Kobe’s last season as good as possible.
Next: New Orleans Pelicans