Kobe only scores six, and the Lakers still win?

By: Byron Parker

If Kobe Bryant only scores six points in a game, how will the Lakers win? Bryant is basically the backbone for the Lakers organization and holding him down to low numbers would cause the team to somewhat struggle, depending upon who's in the lineup. With Andrew Bynum in, there would still be hope. The big man has finally developed into his role in the paint and he's done a tremendous job. Bynum has the potential to be an every night double-double man for the team, so if Kobe struggles, Bynum is the next resort. What about the team without Bynum? Who are they gonna depend on now?

Last night was Pau Gasol's debut in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey. Gasol had a huge night, putting up 24 points, 12 boards and 4 assists. He immediately showed his impact to the team in just one night. Gasol gave us a sign of things to come later on in the season. Yeah, it helped that Fisher put up 28 last night but that's almost a once a month thing. You can't expect him to contribute offensively like that on a regular basis. You can expect it from Kobe and Gasol. There's nothing better than to have a reliable big-man in the paint waiting for the ball so he can put it in the basket. Gasol did a lot of that last night against the New Jersey Nets. And taking all of the pressure off of Kobe gave this team a new look. Most people will say that the Lakers won't work without Kobe. They're right. But would the Lakers work with just Kobe on his own? Not exactly. Relying on one man night in and night out is not how a team wil become successful because if Kobe were to have a bad night and the team lost the game, will you blame him because he didn't have anyone to support him? That just puts more pressure on him to perform better in the next game. You saw that with the few games that Kobe didn't have Bynum. But with Bynum complimenting Bryant in the lineup, Kobe didn't have to put up big numbers and he sometimes even found himself outscored by his teammate. That is what Bynum brought to the table.

Next to him was Kwame Brown. Due to the circumstances of Brown being a "not-so-good" player, I will not go off on a tangent about him. What I will do is compliment the Lakers front office for bringing that extra piece to the team that they needed. Pau Gasol.

I don't believe that he will be a one night wonder because we all know the skills that Gasol posesses. He's a rebounding machine, a go to guy in the paint, and he even has a short jumper in his arsenal. The guy can score and there's no doubt that he will give the Lakers another threat on the floor. If an NBA team has the ability to hold a star like Kobe to just six points and still lose, then that doesn't mean that they suck. It just means that the Lakers are no longer worried about depending on Kobe to get the job for them.

As much as I would like to write the Lakers up as the favorite to win the West, I still can't. Remember, we've only seen Kobe and Gasol; not Kobe, Gasol and Bynum. It should be no problem with these three finding a way to mesh with each other, but they'll have to learn quickly. With Bynum out for several more weeks, he'll return around crunch time. This is when the Lakers will need to get serious and prepare for the playoffs. It seems as if they're already serious but once again, all of them will have to be able to work with each other, especially Gasol and Bynum. Gasol is coming in for the moment to play the same role as Bynum did when he was in. When Bynum comes back, will he go back to his old role or will Phil Jackson find a different role for him? Hopefully for the Lakers, it won't take that long to get these two acclimated to their spots. It really shouldn't though. Since Bynum hasn't yet to establish his short jumper and Gasol has, there is a definite chance that Bynum will remain at the center position and Gasol will goto power forward. Working around the ball to these two will be a little difficult. Since Kobe has learned how to not be a selfish player, there's no worrying about what his job will be. As one of the best clutch shooters in the game, he'll most likely be the one the Phil depends on to set the tone at the beginning of the game and finish out the game. Bynum and Gasol will be the big men that Derek Fisher and Bryant can rely on to get the ball to for some scoring down low.

Gasol is great for this team. I can say that over and over again. I will be excited to see what he can do for this team for the rest of the season. This team is already playoff bound but with Gasol, they're now championship bound.