If it's true the two most important positions in basketball are the point guard and the center, than the L.A. Lakers are going to be in for a doozy of a Western Conference final.
OK, so technically the Lakers haven't quite advanced that far yet. But after their 118-78 Game 5 blowout win over the Rockets, is it really going out on a limb to say L.A. is going to get there? Ditto for the Denver Nuggets, who lead the Mavericks 3-1 in the conference semifinals and have two cracks at putting them away on their home floor to close out the series.
After stunning the Lakers in Game 4 in Houston, the Houston Rockets actually played like a team that was missing its two best players. As well, Phil Jackson finally got the memo that Yao Ming wasn't in the lineup, and came up with a game plan that took advantage of the undersized and undermanned Rockets.
Jackson re-inserted Andrew Bynum into the starting lineup Tuesday night, and Bynum and Pau Gasol combined to punish the Rockets inside.
With Bynum and Gasol clicking on the inside and Kobe Bryant in Mamba mode (20 first half points), the Lakers pretty much had this game wrapped up by the halftime buzzer en route to a 118-78 laugher. It was basically an ultimate reversal of the results in Game 4, complete with Sasha Vujacic breakaway dunks and Jordan Farmer 35 foot buzzer beaters.
Lakers 118, Rockets 78: Recap | Box Score Lakers Lead 3-2 | Next Game: Thursday @ Houston, 9:30 PM ET
HOUSTON -- The way Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals was setting up, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed vulnerable to the Houston Rockets on Friday night.
But fighting through adversity that included the one-game suspension of its starting point guard and coming into a hostile environment after the Rockets had stolen home court advantage, the Lakers reclaimed momentum in the series with an impressive 108-94 win at the Toyota Center. Los Angeles has now won two straight in the best-of-seven series to claim a 2-1 edge heading into Sunday's Game 4.
A win Sunday would all but deliver the series to the Lakers and quiet any chatter about the re-emergence of Clutch City in Houston.
The Lakers versus the Jazz was a competitive and physical second round series a season ago, but this year it looks to be (on paper) one of the most lopsided matchups of the first round. So what's changed? Well, while the Lakers have gotten better with the return of Andrew Bynum, injuries and a lack of continuity have sent the Jazz limping to the finish line.
See, this is why being an NBA player in L.A. is awesome.
You don't see Milwaukee Bucks stars guest starring on America's number one action drama focused on outlining scientific, mathematic, and statistical approaches to crime solving. No sir! There will be no Rudy Gay on your national television stations on Friday.
Meanwhile, Pau Gasol and his 13-year-old's attempt at facial hair, alongside Jordan Farmer will guest star on CBS' Numb3rs on Friday.
Just check out the CBS-provided caption to the photo!
With Jordan Farmar out for the next couple of months after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus, there have been discussions about whether the Lakers will look to make a move to bring in a backup point guard. The pickings are pretty slim out there at that position -- just ask the Suns. But if this rumor is to be believed, it would appear that the Lakers are trying to deal for a warm body nonetheless, and it's a familiar one: former Laker (and two-time NBA champion!) Tyronn Lue.
While Bell and Ridnour have health and injury issues, Tyronn Lue doesn't have either. But Lue's status appears to be up in the air as well. It is believed the Bucks have an offer on the table from the Los Angeles Lakers for Lue, with the Bucks receiving veteran big man Chris Mihm in return.
Most Laker fans remember Lue's time in Los Angeles fondly for some reason, but all I can remember is Allen Iverson stepping over him in disgust after hitting what was effectively the game winner in overtime of Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals. It's not like he'd be expected to play extended minutes though, and in fact, it's possible Lue would never see the court.
The Lakers are still a solid eight players deep (nine if you count Vladimir Radmanovic) even with Farmar sidelined, so this would only be an insurance move in case another guard were to go down with an injury. The Lakers are loaded with semi-serviceable bigs Josh Powell and DJ Mbenga, so dealing Mihm for a guard to sit on the bench seems like a logical move, and a harmless one at that.
The Lakers just got a little less deep, at least for a few games. That's because it was learned before tip-off versus Orlando that Jordan Farmar will be out at least three games with a meniscus tear in his left knee.
Farmar will head back to Los Angeles and skip the trips to Memphis and New Orleans to have the knee further examined on Monday. If it requires surgery, Farmar could be done until near the end of the regular season. If not, he might be back in time for Christmas Day against the Celtics.
Farmar's been mostly solid this season, despite recent concerns over playing time and talking to Phil Jackson last week about defining his role with the team. In Jordan's absence, Sasha Vujacic will likely get the bulk of the minutes at the backup point guard spot, where Farmar has averaged around 20 minutes and eight points per game.
5. Pro Basketball News: Eric Musselman wastes his time giving us five reasons why the Lakers can win it all. How about making it interesting and writing the same piece for say, anyone but L.A. or Boston? 6. Paul Coro, AZ Republic: Amare Stoudemire would like you to call him by a new nickname.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
The Los Angeles Lakers made it to the Finals last year but came up short, and the experience has given the team an appetite for more. In this video we talk to NBA Star Kobe Bryant about the Lakers' diet, and yeah they are hungry. We also catch up with DJ Mbenga, Jordan Farmar, Pau Gasol, Shsha Vujacic, Vladi Radmanovic and big man Andrew Bynum, who tell us about playing with a chip on their shoulders and their chances of winning it all this year.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
Whenever Lakers forward Trevor Ariza gets in the game, he brings lots of energy and instant offense. In fact, so far this season Ariza has been playing like a stud. So what gives? Why the big improvement? We caught up with Ariza and his teammates to ask them what's got into him (Jordan Farmar, for one, is not surprised that Ariza is blowing up). We also talk to Kobe Bryant about the help he gets from the Bench Mob.
After stunning the Lakers in Game 4 in Houston, the Houston Rockets actually played like a team that was missing its two best players. As well, 
HOUSTON -- The way Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals was setting up, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed vulnerable to the Houston Rockets on Friday night.
See, this is why being an NBA player in L.A. is awesome. 
With 
The Lakers just got a little less deep, at least for a few games. That's because 
The Los Angeles Lakers made it to the Finals last year but came up short, and the experience has given the team an appetite for more. In this video we talk to NBA Star Kobe Bryant about the Lakers' diet, and yeah they are hungry. We also catch up with DJ Mbenga, Jordan Farmar, Pau Gasol, Shsha Vujacic, Vladi Radmanovic and big man Andrew Bynum, who tell us about playing with a chip on their shoulders and their chances of winning it all this year. 
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