To Phil Jackson, the phrase "40 before 20" provides a critical benchmark on the path to greatness. Achieving 40 wins before 20 losses, Jackson believes, is a mark of a top-tier NBA team. Jackson has won nine NBA championships, six with the Chicago Bulls and three with the Los Angeles Lakers, and in every one of those seasons, his teams have achieved 40 wins before they hit 20 losses.
With the All-Star break and trade deadline behind them, the Lakers sit at 39-17, the best record in the Western Conference. Riding an eight-game winning streak, Los Angeles is the hottest team in the NBA and has emerged as the league's most powerful and feared team entering the second half of the season.
Prior to center Andrew Bynum's knee injury on Jan. 13, the Lakers were considered a strong candidate to represent the Western Conference in the Finals and vie for the NBA title. At only 20 years old, the seven-foot Bynum is an emerging star and considered by many NBA analysts as the future of NBA centers, in the same category as All-Stars Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudamire. Bynum was averaging 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game before his knee injury.
Without Bynum, however, the Lakers have not lost a step. They have since acquired 7-foot power forward and All-Star Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in one of the league's biggest pre-deadline moves. Gasol's inside-outside presence creates mismatches for every team the Lakers play. When Bynum returns in mid-March, teams will be forced to defend him with their center and defend Gasol with a smaller player, giving the Spaniard free range to exploit the mismatch with his post game and outside touch.
With the acquisition of Gasol, L.A. has an advantage at the small forward position as well. At 6-foot-10, Lamar Odom is a huge swingman for the Lakers who can both handle the ball on the perimeter and post up smaller defenders down low. When the Lakers' squad returns to full strength, it will have three starters at 6-foot-10 or taller, a daunting challenge for any opponent.
And of course, no discussion of the Lakers' weapons is complete without a mention of Kobe Bryant, the statistical leader and backbone of the franchise. Bryant is currently second in the league in scoring, averaging 27.9 points, 5.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game.
Bryant, who is in his 12th pro season and still under 30 years old, already has three rings to his name and is arguably the most dominant offensive player in the NBA since Michael Jordan. Bryant has an unparalleled ability to create his own shot, and with the supporting cast around him creating mismatches all over the court, it is hard to find a team with a more prolific offense than L.A.
This team also benefits from the strength of its bench as it heads into the second half of the season. Backing up starting point guard Derek Fisher and his 12.4 points per game is former UCLA star Jordan Farmar, who allows Jackson to give Fisher a breather without sacrificing skill or court leadership. Farmar is averaging 9.2 points per game off the bench, giving the Lakers two legitimate offensive threats at the point guard position.
Coming off the bench to reinforce L.A.'s phenomenal frontcourt, Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanovic and Ronny Turiaf provide consistent forward play and are significant role players. All three are averaging over 6.5 points and 3.5 boards per game.
Recent years have seen the Western Conference stacked with seven or eight of the NBA's top 10 teams, and this year is no different. If the playoffs started today, the Denver Nuggets, sitting at 33-22, would not make the cut. However, if they were in the East, they would boast the third-best record in the conference.
That the Lakers have managed to rise to the top against such stacked competition is yet another sign of their heavyweight status. Their lineup creates mismatches at every position, especially with Gasol now in the mix, they have arguably the best player in the NBA to go along with one of the best coaches in the history of the game. It is hard to think of a better formula for an NBA championship team than the one Los Angeles boasts right now.
