Halftime

The All-Star break marks the official halfway point in the NBA season, and although almost two-thirds of the games have already been played, most of the playoff picture is still taking shape.

The Lakers are soaring high at the top of the league, and most of their competition comes from Eastern Conference squads, like Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando. It’s great that the Lake Show is in the lead pack, but I hope that they keep an ear to the street in the West and don’t get too far ahead of themselves. I don’t think any team in the West will challenge L.A. for the top spot, but one disadvantage which that creates is that the rest of the pack will have a greater competitive mindset going into the playoffs. After being in the late-season dogfight and clawing for spots, teams like the Spurs, Jazz, Rockets, Hornets, Mavs, and Suns will be more than comfortable playing with a sense of urgency and even desperation. The Lakers need to stay sharp and stay hungry as a nation.

Some things to look forward to during the second half:

How the Lakers organize permanent roles in preparation for the Championship run – Will Lamar be utilized more as an initial threat? How often will the offense revolve around Pau in the post? Can the high-flying Bench Mob co-exist with the starters’ slower tempo?

Experimenting during games against non-playoff teams – Some of my favorite games to watch are against the Clippers, Grizzlies, and Thunder. Kobe practices harder shots, Luke Walton works on his scoring game, and the bench usually goes off! Keep an eye out for Lamar Odom dominating down low, too.

Hype around Kobe’s MVP run – Dwight Howard isn’t a dominant enough big-man, and Dwyane Wade’s team isn’t making the playoffs. It comes down to LeBron and Kobe.