Apr 12, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) walks with a medical staff member against the Golden State Warriors during the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Bryant injured his left Achilles heel last night in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 118-116 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Kobe is having surgery this afternoon on the torn Achilles and it is expected to take him 6-9 months to fully recover from the injury, according to the Lakers’ trainer.

This is very devastating news for Lakers fans not just for this year but for the next. The Lakers are currently sitting in the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference, one game ahead of the Utah Jazz with both teams having two games remaining.

Kobe was needed to play 45-plus minutes per night the past few weeks as the Lakers were doing everything they could to hang on to that eight-seed. It’s hard to say now if they will be able to make the playoffs without Kobe.

If they do, then it is most likely the Oklahoma City Thunder that will be there waiting for them as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

The Thunder are 59-21 on the year right now, a half game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs in the standings. The Thunder will play at home in their final two games of the season vs. the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks next week.

It was only a few days ago that the Thunder were coming off a disappointing loss to the New York Knicks and the thought of them having to possibly deal with the Lakers in the first round seemed kind of scary.

Now with Mamba out, the Lakers are not scary at all. Even with a healthy Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol the Lakers will be no match for the Thunder and probably will get swept by them.

You never want to see a player get hurt like Kobe did but it will almost definitely be good news for the Thunder. OKC probably would have beaten the Lakers with ease in the first round even with Kobe in there, but now their advancement is just about guaranteed.

Mar 5, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Earl Clark (6) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

There are just a few games left in the regular season and the Oklahoma City Thunder are currently sitting atop the Western Conference standings.

If the playoffs started today, it would be the Los Angeles Lakers that the Thunder would be matched up with in the first round.

Remember back before the season started when so many people were picking the Lakers to win the conference and the title? That was even back before the James Harden trade. A lot has changed since then.

It does look like the Lakers are going to lock up that eight-seed now and the Thunder have control of their destiny in terms of getting the one-seed.

Should the Thunder try and avoid the Lakers in the first round?

There’s a few ways to look at it. On one hand, the Lakers simply haven’t been very good this season and that’s why they are only barely making the playoffs. They can’t defend and have very little depth. The Thunder should be able to handle them as easily as any other eight-seed.

But they are the Lakers right? They still have Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash. They could steal a game or two with those guys and possibly change the momentum in a series.

The Thunder haven’t exactly been rolling over their opponents lately either. They look like they have some issues and you don’t want any chinks in the armor before going into a series vs. the Lakers.

The reality is that the Thunder shouldn’t be concerning themselves with the Lakers or any first-round opponent. But the Lakers aren’t your average eight-seed, no matter what anyone says. This will feel more like a second-round series at least.

We know the Thunder have their work cut out for them this postseason. No series will be given to them including the first-round if it’s the Lakers waiting there for them.

Mar 1, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 105-103. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant was called for a technical foul last Tuesday night when the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA has since reviewed the technical foul – which they do for every technical – and decided to rescind it.

It would have been Durant’s 13th technical foul of the season so now he has 12. You receive a one-game suspension when you get to 16 technical fouls.

Durant said after the game that he hoped the NBA would rescind the technical. Referee Joey Crawford is the one who called it on Durant after Durant claimed he only said, “Can I talk to you?”

Crawford is notorious for handing out technical fouls for little things and it’s no surprise that Durant was probably telling the truth about this and the NBA agreed and that’s why they rescinded it.

The Thunder have 22 games left this season so Durant will have to try and keep his cool as to not pick up four more technicals.

The Thunder are only three games back of the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. OKC looks like they will have a really good chance of catching the Spurs since Tony Parker is likely to be out for the next month with an injury.

The Thunder will look to get their next win tonight as they travel to play the New York Knicks at 8 p.m. EST on TNT.

Mar 5, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

In the first half of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 122-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers last night, Kevin Durant was called for a technical foul.

It as the 13th time this season that Durant has been given a technical foul, which ties him with Kobe Bryant for the league lead.

Durant didn’t think he deserved the call and had this to say after the game.

“Joey is a good ref and I respect him a lot,” Durant said. “But hopefully that gets rescinded. All I asked him was, verbatim, is ‘Can I talk to you?’ and he got me with one.”

Via RealGM

The NBA reviews every technical foul that they hand out and it sounds like this one possibly could get rescinded if what Durant is saying is true, and the league finds evidence supporting this.

Once you get your 16th technical of the regular season, you are automatically suspended one game which Durant is getting closer to.

This has not been the case with Durant throughout his career who hardly ever got technical fouls before this season. Durant was ejected for the first time ever in a game this season as well.

Durant has spoken publicly about trying to tone it down. He’s said that he just thinks he’s getting too frustrated out there and needs to find a way to keep his cool.

Even Durant’s grandmother has gotten involved with this telling Durant that he needs to watch his language when in the game and on TV.

It feels unlikely that Durant will get to 16 technicals this season but if he isn’t careful, he could end up there and end up with a suspension.

Mar 5, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The most dominant part of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 122-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers last night came from their point guard.

Russell Westbrook dropped 37 points on Kobe Bryant and company while shooting 15-for-29 from the field. Westbrook would also grab 10 rebounds and dish out five assists.

Kobe had this to say after the game.

@russwest44 was cookin tonight. He’s got mamba blood runnin thru his veins . You gave it to me tonight lil bro. C u down the road!

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) March 6, 2013

This is the kind of respect the Thunder have earned around the league. Having Kobe say something like this about you goes a long way.

Westbrook, more than once, found Kobe trying to check him last night and abused him with isolation dribble moves. He had Kobe on skates and had him guessing and basically did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted to.

“Cookin’” is actually the perfect way to describe Westbrook last night and what he has been doing lately for the Thunder. It’s very much a momentum and rhythm thing for Westbrook who has been very hot as of late.

A key ingredient to Westbrook’s strong play over the past few weeks has been his strong starts. In his last four games, he’s scored 18, 15, 14 and 13 points in the first quarters. His pull-up jumper is going down early and that opens up the rest of his game for him.

An efficient Westbrook turns the Thunder into probably the best team in the league. It’s only when Westbrook is shooting under 40 percent from the field and turning the ball over that the Thunder look like a team with issues.

We haven’t seen that Westbrook in awhile and if he can be the player he’s been the past few weeks come playoff time, we will definitely be talking about the Thunder playing in the NBA Finals when it’s all said and done.

Mar 5, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Earl Clark (6) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 122-105 at Chesapeake Energy Arena last night to improve to 44-16 on the year.

The Thunder tied an NBA record with just two turnovers in the game as they were very efficient all night long.

The Thunder shot 47.9 percent from the field and held the Lakers to 40.3 percent.

Kobe Bryant scored 30 to lead LA but Steve Nash and Dwight Howard were held in check. Nash finished with 20 but Howard had just six and each shot just 2-for-14 combined in the first half.

The Thunder are off tonight and will host the New York Knicks Thursday night.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 40 minutes, 26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists – A

Durant actually didn’t shoot too well and missed a lot of easy looks we’re used to seeing him make. He had a lot of room to work with handling the ball in the pick-and-roll and was very aggressive looking to shoot because of that. The Lakers really dodged a bullet with Durant having a pedestrian shooting night because he could have easily gone for 40.

Russell Westbrook – 36 minutes, 37 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds – A+

Westbrook had another huge first quarter out of the gates scoring 13. He had scored 18, 15 and 14 points in the first quarters of his last three games before last night. The hot start lasted for Westbrook too as he shot 15-for-29 from the field for the game. An efficient Westbrook is a scary thing for any opposing team. He had just one turnover in the game too and that didn’t come until the fourth quarter.

Serge Ibaka – 28 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks – B+

Ibaka was efficient shooting 6-for-8 from the field and solid on the defensive end. He had both of his blocks on one possession in the first quarter when he met Howard at the summit and denied his dunk attempt then blocked Earl Clark on the follow. That kind of set a tone at least for Howard having a horrible game.

Kevin Martin – 29 minutes, 11 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound – A-

Martin went 3-for-11 from behind the three-point line and 0-for-1 from inside it. The five dimes were a season-high and a representation of the improved chemistry between Martin and the second unit. He was aggressive shooting early like last game and looked at first like he would be getting out of his slump but he ended up shooting not so well overall in the end.

Kendrick Perkins – 20 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds – B

Perkins contained Howard and shut him down but that isn’t as impressive this season as it used to be. Other than that, Perkins was 0-for-5 from the field.

Thabo Sefolosha – 28 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist – B

Sefolosha didn’t get a lot of looks on offense going just 2-for-4 from the field and didn’t exactly hold Kobe in check at the other end. Kobe did have to really work for his though and credit Sefolosha there that does one of the best jobs anyone in the league does on Kobe.

Nick Collison – 13 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

Collison cannot cover Howard straight up but that wasn’t a big deal last night. He was great on the offensive glass and finishing around the rim a few times. Just another solid performance from Collison.

Reggie Jackson – 13 minutes, 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists – A-

Jackson continues his hot play making 5-of-7 shots last night and scoring in double-digits. Jackson looked unstoppable driving to the rim on the fast break and in the pick-and-roll. The Thunder were running that pick-and-roll set for Jackson that they used to for James Harden last year and Jackson had similar results picking apart the Lakers defense.

Derek Fisher – 18 minutes, 10 points, 2 steals – A

After going scoreless in his first two appearances for the Thunder this season, Fisher was great last night. He made 3-of-4 shots and scored 10. If Fisher can make shots, he will be fine playing a lot of minutes for OKC. It just feels unlikely this will be the case so much. Fortunately for the Thunder Jackson also played very well so it’s not as if Fisher has a chance of stealing his job.

Hasheem Thabeet – 7 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Thabeet didn’t play a lot of minutes because Howard really didn’t either. He held his own vs. Howard while he was in there though and finished one shot nicely as the roll man.

Ronnie Brewer – 6 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 steal – B-

Brewer got in during the second quarter when Sefolosha usually returns. He didn’t play long and was used primarily to check Kobe, who didn’t do anything remarkable against him. Brewer did commit one of the Thunder’s two turnovers in the game which is just so disappointing.

Mar 5, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash (10) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Lakers’ time at being .500 on the season was short lived, as the Oklahoma City Thunder absolutely throttled them on Tuesday night, winning 122-105 at home.

Russell Westbrook was the star, scoring 37 points and grabbing 10 boards in his double-double performance. Kevin Durant had 26 points, while Serge Ibaka–who surprisingly wasn’t suspended but only fined $25K for a crotch shot to Blake Griffin against the Clippers on Sunday–added 13 more.

Kobe Bryant caught fire early for Los Angeles and had a 30-point performance, all while playing with a banged-up right elbow. This was Kobe’s 26th 30-point game this season, the most in the NBA.

The Thunder jumped to an early lead on Los Angeles, going up 37-28 after the first quarter. Those 37 points were the most points scored in the first period by OKC this season. Undeterred by the Lakers’ lax defense, the Thunder led 71-55 at the half, and Westbrook, Durant and Kevin Martin off the bench all had double digit points.

Though they led this game wire to wire, Oklahoma City saw its 18-point lead diminish to just five points late in the fourth. The Lakers brought it to 110-105 with four minutes to go, and looked as if they were going to make a late push to turn the game in their favor.

No such thing would occur, however.

The Lakers went ice cold down the stretch, being rendered scoreless the last four and a half minutes of the game. Ironically, the Lakers opened this game by missing their first 10 shots, and would end it by missing their last 10 as well.

Los Angeles falls to 31-30 on the season, while OKC advances to 44-16. They challenge the New York Knicks next, on Wed., Mar. 7.

Jan 27, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) moves the ball against the defense of Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha (2) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play the Los Angeles Lakers for the fourth time this season when they host them tonight at 9:30 p.m. EST.

The Thunder won the first two meetings this year fairly easily then dropped the third meeting 105-96 in Los Angeles back on Jan. 27.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 35 points in that game, shooting 10-for-26 from the field and 13-for-14 from the free throw line.

Russell Westbrook had a rough nigh scoring just 17 points on 6-for-22 shooting. He did have 13 assists.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 21 points to go along with 14 assists and nine rebounds.

Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins each had 10 points and Kevin Martin scored just nine off the bench.

Dwight Howard had just eight points and went 2-for-10 from the free throw line.

That was a rare poor game for the Thunder the last time they played as they allowed the Lakers to shoot 55.4 percent from the field. Kobe becoming a distributor while the Thunder defense was designed to take away his scoring is a big reason why that happened.

Kobe replicating that kind of game again with a ton of assists seems unlikely.

What seems more likely – especially with the game being played in Oklahoma City – is Westbrook having a much stronger showing than 6-for-22. Westbrook has been playing great basketball of late and shooting the ball very well. He has traditionally torched the Lakers in this matchup and will probably return to that form tonight.

You know you can also count on Durant to play well and the Thunder bigs not to allow Howard to have a big game. The Thunder could use more than nine points from Martin, who has been really struggling from the field the past two games.

The Lakers are playing maybe the best basketball they have all year. They’ve won their last two games and have won seven of their last 10.

The Thunder have been inconsistent lately but that usually still means they play and shoot well when in front of their home crowd.

The game will be televised nationally on TNT.

January 27, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots a basket against the defense of Los Angeles Lakers small forward Earl Clark (6) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena. At this point in the season, no one expected the Lakers to still be out of the playoff seeding.

Right now, they have the ninth best record in the Western Conference at two games behind the Utah Jazz and two and a half behind the Houston Rockets.

The Thunder are of course right at the top of the Western Conference standings just three games behind the San Antonio Spurs, who just lost Tony Parker for the next month.

With the top seed very much in reach for the Thunder and the Lakers charging for the last playoff spot, will tonight be a preview of what we will see in the first round of the playoffs?

It seems more likely than ever today.

The Lakers have won their last two games, seven of their last 10 and are at .500 for the first time this season. Kobe Bryant is playing great basketball and the Mike D’Antoni system in LA looks like it might actually be working somewhat.

It’s not what we expected to see from the Lakers this season. They’re doing all this without Pau Gasol. Dwight Howard and Steve Nash have not been featured as much as was expected either.

The reality is that despite the Lakers not living up to expectations, catching Utah or Houston is totally possible for them right now. The philosophy for the Lakers now has become to just make the playoffs and not care about the seedings.

The best case scenario for the Lakers would be avoiding the Thunder in the first round. OKC has played very well against LA this season and the last. They beat them in five games in the second round last year and LA still doesn’t look like they are capable of slowing down Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook.

But by the same token, the Thunder would prefer to avoid the Lakers in the first round too. Why would you want to deal with a foursome of Kobe, Howard, Nash and Gasol? Who knows, maybe they’ll suddenly figure it all out and start playing to the potential we once thought they would by the time the playoffs start.

We’ll get a good look tonight in OKC of what to expect if these teams do meet in the playoffs. The Lakers are playing very well right now but so are the Thunder, who are coming off a big win on the road vs. the Los Angeles Clippers last Sunday.

The Thunder have been blowing teams out lately at the Peake but tonight, it’ll probably be a close one.

Mar 3, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) reacts after defeating the Atlanta Hawks at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was asked what he thought of the incident between Serge Ibaka and Blake Griffin last Sunday afternoon.

“I probably would have smacked [Ibaka] in the mouth,” Bryant said after the Los Angeles Lakers practiced Monday. “I would have dealt with the pain after.”

Via ESPNLA

Ibaka and Griffin were physically jostling for position late in the fourth quarter when the Oklahoma City Thunder traveled to play the Los Angeles Clippers two days ago.

Griffin seemed to have good position and a hold of Ibaka and it led Ibaka to swing his arm down in a chopping motion toward Griffin’s midsection. The blow connected below the belt and was called a flagrant one in the game after officials reviewed the play.

The league will also review the play and could potentially suspend Ibaka for a game – possibly tonight – for his act.

A lot of people think the move by Ibaka was intentional, including Kobe apparently. While it was certainly intentional by Ibaka to throw his arm in that way, the result and where he struck Griffin was not.

It was not a smart move by Ibaka though who should have had better awareness of what he was doing in that situation.

There has been no word from the league yet on a possible Ibaka suspension, if anything we may hear something later today.

Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate all season long.

The trade deadline is Feb. 21 and it looks like there is a good chance to Hawks will trade Smith.

Expectations are growing that the Hawks will trade forward Josh Smith, a source said. Smith has averaged 17 points, 8.6 rebounds. 4.7 assists and 2.1 blocks this month despite the trade speculation.

Via Yahoo! Sports

The most popular Josh Smith trade rumors has sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Pau Gasol. Gasol has been coming off the bench recently for the Lakers and isn’t thrilled with that role.

The Hawks just lost Lou Williams for the year and GM Danny Ferry still has the future in mind when it comes to clearing cap space and hasn’t been the biggest Smith supporter either.

There has been some thought that the Oklahoma City Thunder should try and go after Smith too. They could maybe buy low on him at this point and Smith would be a great fit to the already versatile Thunder roster.

The Thunder could package Kendrick Perkins, Jeremy Lamb and Eric Maynor for Smith. Smith is making $13 million this season in the last year of his contract.

The big issue is that Smith recently said he believed he was a max player. It would be impossible for the Thunder to re-sign Smith to a max extension unless they included Serge Ibaka in the trade.

Renting Smith for the rest of the season for Perkins would be a decent deal for the Thunder too though. There is still a chance the Thunder will amnesty Perkins down the road and acquiring Smith would really improve the Thunder’s chances at an NBA title this season.

The reality is that the Thunder would have to absolutely be in love with Smith to consider trading for him. They would have to choose Smith over Ibaka and they would never do that so soon after signing Ibaka to an extension.

A Smith trade could still greatly affect the Thunder even if he isn’t traded to them. Smith on the Lakers with Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash could really improve that roster and turn the Lakers into a potential sleeper in the Western Conference.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder played the Los Angeles Lakers for the third time this season yesterday and lost to them for the first time.

The Thunder-Lakers game was hyped as a possible Western Conference Finals preview before the season but now looks like a first round matchup at best.

The Lakers have been a mess all season and have a record of just 19-25 on the year. Just making the playoffs is going to be a real challenge for them. The Lakers have reeled off two wins in a row now and we know they have the talent to start winning more than they’ve done so far this year.

In yesterday’s game, they beat the best team in the NBA 105-96. Kevin Durant scored 35 points but went 10-for-26 from the field. Russell Westbrook had a near triple-double but shot 6-for-22. That’s 16-for-48 combined from KD and Russ.

Should Thunder fans be concerned about losing this game? If the Thunder have to play the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, could we see a potential upset?

There’s no reason to panic in Oklahoma City yet. Yesterday simply was not an example of the Thunder’s issues as much as it was the Lakers coming out and finally playing a good game.

The Thunder were playing their sixth straight game on the road yesterday and clearly looked a least a little fatigued by that.

Westbrook – who normally torches the Lakers and did so against them last year in the playoffs – was not himself. It wasn’t the Lakers shutting him down as much as it was Westbrook just missing shots. He didn’t look to be elevating as well on his jumper or as decisive in taking it.

Durant is also much better than he was yesterday, which is scary to think because he still dropped 35. Only grabbing two boards was a representation of how poor the Thunder defense was too.

The Lakers didn’t exactly dominate inside either which would have been troubling for the Thunder had that been the case. Dwight Howard scored just eight points and still doesn’t look himself. Pau Gasol played well but it was nothing the Thunder haven’t seen from him before.

The Lakers caught the Thunder at the right time. OKC was ready to end this road trip and the Lakers were in desperation mode.

It’s going to take a lot more losing for the Thunder to start worrying. They still are a team built to beat this Lakers team that is still not even close to reaching the potential we once thought they had.

The Thunder get three days off to rest now before playing the Memphis Grizzlies Thursday night on TNT at the Chesapeake Arena.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder completed their 6-game road trip yesterday afternoon by losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 105-96.

The Thunder went 3-3 on this road trip and are now 34-11 on the year which puts them a half game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the NBA.

Kobe Bryant led the way for the Lakers with a near triple-double scoring 21 points to go along with 14 assists and nine rebounds.

Pau Gasol had 16 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench. Dwight Howard had just eight points and 10 boards.

The Thunder shot just 4-for-16 from behind the arc and allowed the Lakers to hit 55.4 percent of their shots for the game.

The Thunder will get three days off now before playing the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Thursday night.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 43 minutes, 35 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists – B+

The Thunder could not do without Durant yesterday. In the five minutes he sat, OKC was outscored by nine points and played LA even during his 43 minutes. KD went just 10-for-26 from the field and was visibly frustrated throughout the second half. Just two rebounds for Durant is never a good sign for the Thunder either.

Russell Westbrook – 39 minutes, 17 points, 13 assists, 9 rebounds – B

Look no further than Westbrook’s off shooting night as to why the Thunder lost the game. He went just 6-for-22 from the field as his jumper looked really flat all game long. Westbrook made up for it by dishing out 13 dimes and collecting nine boards but it wasn’t enough at the end of the day. The Thunder offense just becomes so much worse when he is missing that much.

Serge Ibaka – 35 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks – B-

With Durant and Westbrook not shooting particularly well, the Thunder could have used a bigger game from Ibaka. He made half of his 10 shots and didn’t get to the line. The Thunder need their bigs to match LA’s in this matchup.

Kevin Martin – 19 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds – C+

Martin got just 19 minutes because Scott Brooks was going with bigger lineups featuring Thabo Sefolosha to guard Kobe. Therefore Martin didn’t have much of an impact in the game. The Thunder could have used more from him and probably should have tried Durant at the four more often so Martin could get out there.

Kendrick Perkins – 28 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists – A+

Give Perkins a lot of credit for playing a fantastic game yesterday. He’s actually been knocking down jumpers recently and finishing better at the rim. The defense is always there too.

Thabo Sefolosha – 34 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals – B

Sefolosha played good defense on Kobe, who just decided to play the distributor role yesterday instead of trying to score. Sefolosha made just 1-of-3 from downtown and didn’t do much else on offense.

Nick Collison – 21 minutes, 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Collison was very solid while he was out there getting boards and playing defense. He knocked down a jumper from the baseline which was nice. Whenever he is knocking down jumpers, it’s gravy for the Thunder second unit.

Reggie Jackson – 9 minutes, 2 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound – B

Jackson has been playing his role pretty perfectly of late. His one bucket yesterday was a nice transition finish over a defender. He’s starting to pick up more assists too and had a very nice drive and kick to Ibaka for a jumper.

Hasheem Thabeet – 6 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound – B

Thabeet had a very nice bucket in the game but was not needed that much since Howard didn’t play a whole lot.

DeAndre Liggins – 5 minutes, 0 points, 1 steal, 1 block – B

No shot attempts from Liggins but of course the little things show up in his box score.

Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will finish their 6-game road trip this afternoon as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers in Staples Center.

The Thunder are 3-2 on their road trip so far with Kevin Durant averaging 35.6 points per game during the trip.

This is the third time this season that the Thunder will play the Lakers. OKC won the first two meetings, 114-108 in OKC on Dec. 7 then 116-101 in LA on Jan. 11.

Durant had 36 points in the first meeting and then 42 in the second as the Thunder blew out the Lakers in LA and hardly needed Durant in the fourth quarter.

Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol didn’t play in the second meeting leaving Kobe Bryant alone to go for 28 points on 8-of-23 shooting. Kobe was much better in the first meeting scoring 35 points on 11-of-24 shooting.

The real thorn in the Lakers’ side against the Thunder has been Russell Westbrook. Westbrook had 33 points then 27 against the Lakers so far this season as he continues to always play some of his best basketball when returning to his home state.

The Lakers simply cannot match up with Westbrook’s athleticism and he goes and gets any shot he wants.

The Lakers lost four in a row before winning their last game at home against Utah.

Mike D’Antoni is continuing to bring Gasol off the bench and start Earl Clark at power forward, insisting that Gasol and Howard together is not best for this team right now.

To have a chance today, the Lakers will need big games from both of their big men. One area they could have an advantage against the Thunder is dominating the glass. OKC is sometimes susceptible to giving up offense rebounds and then settling for too many jumpers on the other end.

The Thunder and Lakers are on two totally different spectrums right now. OKC has the best record in the league and looks like the best team in the league while the Lakers are a total mess.

There’s too much that needs to go right for LA to win today, especially knowing that Westbrook always plays well against the Lakers and the Thunder barely ever lose when he is going off.

The game will tip at 3:30 p.m. EST and air nationally on ABC.

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers are 18-25 on the season and currently out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

The Lakers have been unable to take advantage of their best four players under first year head coach Mike D’Antoni.

D’Antoni has made the decision to bring former perennial All-Star Pau Gasol off the bench because in his offense, Gasol and Dwight Howard aren’t playing well together. Howard has had one of his worst seasons in years too and Steve Nash is in the same boat.

The Lakers need to change something and that could come in the form of a trade. Amazingly, this season is not totally lost yet as they are only 4.5 games behind the Houston Rockets for the 8th seed in the Western Conference.

ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting that multiple teams are speculating that the Lakers could engage in a 3-team trade to bring Rudy Gay to LA. The potential 3-team deal would send Gasol to the Boston Celtics and Paul Pierce to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Gasol and Gay have been tied to trade rumors virtually all season. The Grizzlies thought they were going to need to save money to avoid future luxury tax implications by getting rid of Gay but in light of their most recent trade, now may not have to.

Pierce has been linked to only some trade rumors and with the Celtics starting to really struggle, we will see his name thrown out there more and more.

This would be a gigantic trade swapping three former alpha dogs of their teams midway through the season. Other names would likely be involved but these three would be the biggest part of the trade.

Bringing Gay in for Gasol isn’t something that will drastically help the Lakers over night. Gay would be a better fit under D’Antoni and allow for the small lineups to continue with Earl Clark at the four but it won’t make the Lakers title contenders again.

The trade deadline is Thursday, Feb. 21.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Dwight Howard before the start of this season, it was for the long-term.

The Lakers planned to re-sign Howard next summer and keep him to pair with Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol for a few more title runs.

Things haven’t gone as planned and the Lakers currently sit at 17-24 on the year with the playoffs looking very unrealistic.

The Los Angeles Lakers have consistently turned away trade inquiries in recent weeks for All-Star center Dwight Howard and still believe they have a strong chance of signing him to a new contract when Howard becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, according to sources close to the situation.

But sources told ESPN.com this week the Lakers might be forced to reconsider that position between now and the Feb. 21 trade deadline because of Howard’s growing unhappiness with his role under coach Mike D’Antoni and the potential that raises for Howard leaving them in July without compensation.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, however, said that a trade is not imminent.

Via ESPN.com

This is interesting considering the news that came out yesterday that the Brooklyn Nets were planning to pursue trading for Howard again this season.

Between Howard and Gasol, the Lakers need to trade one of them. It is unknown what the Lakers could get for Howard at this point. Gasol has most often been linked with Josh Smith as a potential swap between the Lakers and Atlanta Hawks, something that would probably fit pretty well with the Lakers.

If the Lakers don’t trade Howard and he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, there is a real chance he will decide to sign somewhere else considering his struggles in L.A. and the team’s struggles.

The Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks are a few teams who are planning to be in position to sign Howard next summer.

Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Dwight Howard made it very clear last summer which team he wanted to play for this season. It wasn’t the Los Angeles Lakers where he is now but the Brooklyn Nets.

A deal could not be made between the Orlando Magic and Nets at that time and all hope of Howard going to Brooklyn faded. In stepped the Lakers and we all know that hasn’t worked out too well this season.

According to Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM, the Nets are preparing to pursue Howard in a trade again.

According to sources, King was planning to contact the Minnesota Timberwolves in order to gauge their interest in a three-team trade that would send Kevin Love to the Lakers, Brook Lopez to the Timberwolves and Dwight Howard to the Nets. Other small pieces would need to be included, but the proposed trade was thought to be intriguing enough to start conversations in the Lakers front office that would force them to deal with Howard earlier than planned.

That idea, however, was shelved when Love was sidelined 8-10 weeks with a broken hand. The Nets believed the Lakers would be interested in Love, but not an injured Love, even if they’re facing missing the playoffs, according to sources.

King will still look around for an attractive piece for the Lakers, but won’t make getting Howard as big a priority as last season, according to sources. But he will continue to watch the Lakers and explore intriguing trade options, sources said.

The hypothetical 3-team trade with Minnesota seems pretty unlikely considering the Timberwolves would be giving up Kevin Love and only receiving Brook Lopez in return.

The Lakers are definitely very likely to trade someone before the deadline this season whether that be Howard or Pau Gasol. At 17-24 on the year, playoffs are extremely unlikely and the current makeup of the Lakers is clearly not working.

Gasol has been benched by Mike D’Antoni who claims the Lakers work better on both ends of the floor with a smaller lineup. He is essentially being wasted on the bench playing less than 30 minutes per game which makes him an ideal candidate to be traded.

There have been rumors linking possible Gasol trades with the Atlanta Hawks for Josh Smith, a move that could work for both teams. The Lakers are discussing trade possibilities involving Gasol but have said they do not want to take on a long-term contract in exchange for him because they want to have their books cleared in 2014 so they can chase after a big name free agent.

But maybe trading Howard would make more sense for the Lakers. The dynamic between Howard and Kobe Bryant has been awkward at best with Kobe most recently coming out and talking about how much he has tried to help Dwight. Kobe also doesn’t like the new situation of Gasol coming off the bench.

Howard doesn’t like the current set up saying that the Lakers need to play more inside-out on offense and that he needs more touches.

The only thing for certain right now is that the Lakers are a mess. The playoffs aren’t happening this season unless something drastically changes. Trading Howard or Gsaol would be drastic and at this time, probably a good move for the Lakers no matter what they get in return.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Bryant became just the 5th player in NBA history to score 30,000 or more points in his career earlier this season. At the age of 34, Kobe seems ageless as he is still leading the NBA in points per game this season.

Kobe was recently asked in an interview which player past or present he would most like to play 1-on-1. His answer was easy: Michael Jordan.

Then Kobe was asked who would win between him and LeBron James.

Me. No question. As far as one-on-one, I’m the best to ever do it … LeBron is a terrific all-around, five-on-five basketball player who’s an all-time great. But I’d get him.

Which player in the NBA right now could give Kobe a challenge?

Kevin Durant is the guy that would give me the most trouble. With his length and ability to use the dribble, he’d be tough.

Kobe is probably remembering how Durant dropped a season-high 42 points on the Lakers a week ago. In that game Durant was unconscious making 16-of-25 shots with a number of his makes coming with Kobe helplessly guarding him.

Kobe went on to say that he is the best at 1-on-1 and he never loses. That’s a lot of respect he has for Durant then.

Durant has a chance to be the next Kobe but better as he is trying to blend some LeBron into his game. It’s almost unfair to try and compare Durant to anyone since there is really no one like him before at that size with that skill.

Kobe knows this and that’s why he knows Durant could take him in 1-on-1.

So who do you take in a game of 1-on1? Kobe or Durant?

USA Today Sports

No team is struggling like the Los Angeles Lakers this season. After acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in the offseason, this season was supposed to be one in which they competed for an NBA title.

It looks anything but.

The Oklahoma City Thunder took the Lakers to the woodshed last night beating them 116-101 dropping the Lakers’ record to 15-21 on the season.

Now it’s looking like making the playoffs might not even happen for this Lakers team. The 8-seed in the Western Conference is currently projected to be a 42-win team. The Lakers would have to go 27-19 the rest of the year to hit that mark.

The way things are going now, that about looks impossible. And if the Lakers don’t make the playoffs, will that mean Howard will be on the way out?

Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss recently said in a radio interview that he believes the Lakers have a 95 percent chance of re-signing Howard after this season. Buss said he is still excited about this team because injuries have played a big factor in their struggles so far.

The 95 percent chance of keeping Howard is an optimistic outlook for Buss. Wouldn’t he be the one thinking there’s the highest chance of keeping him?

Let’s look at what we’ve seen from Howard and the Lakers so far this season.

Howard hasn’t fit in too well with Kobe Bryant. There have been rumored feuds between the two and their personalities were never going to be ones that fit together perfectly.

Howard does not appear to be healthy following the back surgery he had in the offseason. Maybe this means he still isn’t 100 percent or maybe this means this is the Howard we will see for the rest of his career.

The pieces surrounding Howard aren’t very good and are old. This team doesn’t exactly look like it has a bright future. If anything, they were supposed to have the best chance of winning a title this season. Nash, Kobe and Gasol are only going to get older.

The Lakers had no problem trading for Howard before this season because they were supposed to become one of the best teams in the West meaning Howard wouldn’t think twice about re-signing with them after this season.

Things haven’t gone as planned and Howard’s plan may change by the end of the season. There will be plenty of teams like Dallas, Atlanta and Houston ready to offer Howard max money this coming summer. Quite frankly, all of those teams look like better situations for the big man right now.

Jan 11, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates as Los Angeles Lakers forward Antwan Jamison (4) watches at the Staples Center. The Thunder defeated the Lakers 116-101. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Like they have consistently done all season, the Oklahoma City Thunder proved once again why they are the team to beat in the West when they dismantled the Lakers 116-101 at Staples Center.

Kevin Durant absolutely balled out, leading the offensive assault with 42 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Russell Westbrook helped out with 27 points and 10 assists in this winning effort that served as the Lakers’ sixth-straight loss.

Los Angeles put up a fight in the first quarter when their backs were against the ropes, suggesting that they still have what it takes to be a top team in 2013. The Thunder had jumped to an early 11-point lead when the Lakers shredded it by going on an 11-0 run led by Kobe Bryant.

After that though, the Thunder were having none of it.

Oklahoma City surged right back and trounced their way to a 27-point lead in the second half, and the short-handed Lakers never got back into it. Without starting big men Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard for the third straight game, Los Angeles looked sluggish and lost, drowning in a sea of inescapable blue jerseys. Their defense was helpless against the quick-tempo assault of Oklahoma City, and with the ball in their hands, the Lakers couldn’t hit anything from beyond the arc. The only bright spot for LA was Bryant (surprise surprise!), who put up 28 points in this losing effort.

For the Lakers, it means their longest losing streak since 2007 while for OKC, it signaled their seventh win in nine games. In doing so, they matched the Clippers for the best record in the NBA.

In 2011, the Thunder eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs in five games and many thought that in 2012, the two teams would clash in the grandest way possible. Thus far, the Lakers have been nothing short of disappointing and need a movie-star quality ending to rectify this season.

The Thunder advance to 28-8 on the season, while the Lakers limp to a 15-21 record. Oklahoma City next challenges the Portland Trailblazers on Jan. 13.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Who would have thought at the start of the season that when the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers met to play at this point in the year, the Lakers would be five games under .500.

Things really could not have gone worse for the Lakers this season and right now it’s as bad as ever as they have lost their last five games.

The Lakers will be without Dwight Howard and Jordan Hill tonight and Pau Gasol may also miss the game although he has not been rules out just yet.

This is the second meeting between the Thunder and Lakers this season with the Thunder taking the first game 114-108 in OKC back on Dec. 7.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 36 points and nine rebounds in that game and Russell Westbrook also torched L.A. to the tune of 33 points and eight assists.

Gasol and Steve Nash did not play in that game. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 35 points while Howard had 23 points and 18 rebounds.

The Lakers will be at home tonight but without Howard and perhaps Gasol, will need monster efforts from Kobe and Nash to keep pace with OKC.

The worst part about this matchup for the Lakers is that Westbrook plays some of his best basketball against them. When that is the case, the Thunder rarely lose.

The Lakers have been sporting more small ball lineups of late too which will also only play into the hands of the Thunder who are far better with Durant playing power forward and only one other big on the floor.

The odds certainly aren’t in the Lakers’ favor tonight and a win for them would be a major upset at this juncture in the year.

The Thunder are coming off a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at home in their last game. Tonight on the road vs. the Lakers will kick off a road trip in which the Thunder will play nine of their next ten games away from home.

The game will tip at 10:30 p.m. EST tonight and will air nationally on ESPN.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Christmas Day has come and passed and the NBA season is no officially underway. Most teams have played about a third of their games so far and we’re starting to see some teams break away from the pack.

The Eastern Conference has been decided for some time now as the Miami Heat have established themselves as the clear class of that conference. The New York Knicks are making it interesting playing so well this year and against the Heat in particular, but after those two teams there’s not a lot of competition.

The Western Conference is much stronger. Right now, it’s tough to say who will make it to the NBA Finals in June.

For now, here’s a look at Power Rankings for the Western Conference:

1. Los Angeles Clippers (22-6)

The Clippers hold the best record in the league right now thanks to a winning streak that has reached 14 games. They have really improved their depth this season and the maturation of Blake Griffin has also helped a ton. Chris Paul at the helm will always keep them in contention and their proven success against the Heat and Thunder in the past makes them deserving of this spot.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-6)

Losers of their last two puts a bad taste in your mouth when ranking the Thunder. They had their big winning streak snapped in Minnesota then disappointingly lost in Miami on Christmas Day in the same fashion they did in the NBA Finals. Still, they have been one of the most consistent teams in the league and the best offensively despite still having room for improvement, which is scary.

3. San Antonio Spurs (22-8)

The Spurs have been quiet this season and to no one’s surprise. They have some impressive wins like opening night against the Thunder but have also been beaten a few times by top teams in the conference. They still are the best in the league at getting open shots and if Manu Ginobili can return to his old form by the playoffs, they will have as good a chance as anyone to reach the Finals.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (18-8)

They had a great start to the year and have since cooled down. They can stack up against the elite in the NBA and throw something at them that is very hard to match up with in terms of their size. But there are still questions surrounding this team while the other three above have less.

5. Golden State Warriors (19-10)

One of the biggest surprises of the year has to be the Warriors. Their defense has vastly improved despite Andrew Bogut still being sidelines with an injury. Stephen Curry has stayed healthy and is having a solid year while David Lee is playing some of the best basketball of his career.

6. Los Angeles Lakers (14-15)

You still can’t totally give up on the Lakers who have just recently gotten Steve Nash back from injury. They beat the Knicks on Christmas Day and look to maybe be on the right track now. If Dwight Howard can’t start looking healthier, they really won’t be able to make much noise this season.

7. Denver Nuggets (16-14)

The Nuggets like the Lakers have been disappointing this year. They also have some new pieces that are slowly starting to get better playing together. They have the talent to make a run and finish the year with a good record if that’s the case.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves (13-13)

Minnesota has recently gotten Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio back from injury and that will make a world of difference. Love is still getting his legs back and Rubio’s minutes are still limited. Once they are 100 percent, the rest of the West needs to be on notice.

9. Houston Rockets (16-12)

The Rockets have been up and down this season but have won their last five games. James Harden and Jeremy Lin are playing better together now. If they can figure that out, they will have a real shot at the playoffs.

10. Utah Jazz (15-15)

The Jazz don’t exactly know who they are and there are some trade rumors surrounding them this year. They are a deep team with more depth on the frontline than just about anyone else. That makes them difficult to handle on a night-to-night basis and major players as the trade deadline approaches.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

We are a little more than a quarter of the way finished with the NBA season now. The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently the hottest team in the league with the best record and on an 11-game win streak.

The New York Knicks still hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference just a game and a half ahead of the Miami Heat. The Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs are two games back each of the Thunder.

A few disappointments so far have been the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets who each would barely make the playoffs if they started today. But no team has been more disappointing than the Los Angeles Lakers so far.

Team success has a lot to do with MVP candidacy. Now let’s look at the players who are in the running for the award so far this year.

1. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Durant still deserves the top spot here with the Thunder rolling the way that they are. Durant is putting up career numbers in terms of PER and true shooting percentage as he has a shot at joining the 50-40-90 club. His improvement from last season will be a big reason why he is considered the MVP so far this season especially with James Harden’s departure.

2. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

The Knicks just keep winning while Anthony is playing the best basketball of his career. He really seems to have carried over his Olympic play to the NBA season and it has been perfect for this Knicks team. The veterans surrounding Anthony are only helping to lift him to another level this season too.

3. LeBron James, Miami Heat

You can’t drop LeBron too far down the MVP ladder. He’s still leading the league in PER and putting up better all-around numbers than anyone. The Heat just haven’t been winning quite as much as you’d expect. All it’s going to take is a big month or two from LeBron and the Heat for him to get back in poll position of this race.

4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

What Kobe is doing at this age and leading the league in scoring as efficiently as he’s ever been is remarkable. The issue is the Lakers aren’t winning, at all. Once they do and most people still believe they will eventually get their act together, Kobe will be right up there in the MVP discussion.

5. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are quietly on a winning streak just as impressive as the Thunder’s. Paul is 5th in the NBA in PER behind only the four players ahead of him in these Power Rankings. The Clippers look much better than a season ago, more prepared to make a deep run in the playoffs. Their depth has been a big reason for their success though so it’s not all Paul which is why he ranks only 5th.

6. Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies have gotten off to a great start this season thanks mostly to Randolph. Randolph isn’t near the top of the league in PER but his averages of 17.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game will not go unnoticed by MVP voters. Memphis has shown that they are as tough as anyone in the league to match up with and Randolph being their power forward is the biggest reason why.

7. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Curry has led the Warriors to the fifth best record in the Western Conference so far this season. The key has simply been his health. He’s averaging 19.7 points, 6.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. His shooting numbers have not been their best either so expect those to rise as the season goes on. The Warriors have been one of the biggest surprises of the year playing this well so early. If they can keep it up, Curry will deserve some MVP attention.

8. Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks

Smith and the Hawks have also surprised the NBA in their first season after Joe Johnson currently holding the third best record in the Eastern Conference. They have many impressive wins including against the Thunder in OKC. Smith is averaging 16.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game to lead the Hawks.

9. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Rondo is still leading the league in assists by far and if the Celtics can get their act together and move up the standings in the Eastern Confernce, he will keep moving up in the MVP Power Rankings. He’s averaging 12.9 points, 12.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game this year as he looks to be playing the best ball of his career.

10. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Westbrook will never win the NBA because he is on the same team as Kevin Durant but he still deserves to be ahead of others in the MVP Power Rankings. Like Durant, Westbrook is also having a career year passing the ball better than ever and playing defense at the highest level we’ve ever seen from him. The Thunder needed Durant and Westbrook to step up and fill the Harden void this year and both have done exactly that.

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing was supposed to shake up the NBA landscape more dramatically this year than Dwight Howard going to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Howard was joining Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol in L.A. and many had them as the NBA title favorites before even playing a game in purple and gold.

Things haven’t gone as planned for the Lakers so far this season as they are just 9-13 on the season so far. They fired head coach Mike Brown five games into the season and new head coach Mike D’Antoni has yet to right the ship.

Howard’s contract will be up after this season and he will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Lakers of course traded for Howard with the idea that he would be there long-term. L.A. was confident that after a season with Kobe and the Lakers making it at least to the Western Conference Finals, remaining a Laker would be a no-brainer for the big man.

But what if the Lakers don’t turn it around this year? What if they get knocked out in the first or second round of the playoffs? What if Howard can’t handle the pressure in L.A. and with Kobe in his ear every day?

Suddenly the future of where Howard is going to be playing basketball seems foggier.

Not for Howard though who came out and said yesterday that he already knows who he will be signing with next summer, according to the Los Angeles Times.

This has to be good news for the Lakers because who else could Howard already know he is going to sign with besides the Lakers?

The only other teams that really would be in play for Howard would be the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and maybe the Houston Rockets. There’s nothing that would point at Howard already being sure of one of those teams as a new destination for him next season.

But it really doesn’t mean anything what Howard is saying right now. A ton can change between now and then and if the Lakers don’t get their act together, Howard might decide he’s had enough.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder took care of business at home last night beating the Los Angeles Lakers 114-108 to improve to 16-4 on the year.

The Lakers were banged up for the game playing without Steve Nash and Pau Gasol but still put up a fight.

The Thunder offense was unstoppable though and scored 41 points in the second quarter to get out to a huge lead. The Lakers were fighting from behind after that and came close in the end but never had enough to get over the hump.

The Thunder – who lead the league in true shooting percentage – shot 48.8 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from 3-point range for the game.

Kobe Bryant paced the Lakers with 35 points and Dwight Howard had 23 points and 18 rebounds.

On to the Thunder Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 44 minutes, 36 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists – A+

Durant was a monster last night consistently scoring throughout the game. He looks so comfortable picking his spots offensively this season and last night was another example of that. He made 14-of-16 free throws and 2-of-4 threes. Metta World Peace used to be Durant’s kryptonite but that is true no more.

Russell Westbrook – 40 minutes, 33 points, 8 assists, 1 rebound – A

It was a tale of two halves for Westbrook who went nuts in the first scoring 27 points and making five 3-pointers. He was totally feeling it but in the second half kind of slowed down scoring just six points and none in the third quarter. The pull-up jumper was flowing for Westbrook and when that’s the case, he is absolutely unguardable. The Lakers tried to slow him down with Chris Duhon and Darius Morris who just had no chance of staying in front of him.

Serge Ibaka – 31 minutes, 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block – B

It wasn’t a huge game from Ibaka but solid nonetheless. Because Westbrook was shooting so much, passes weren’t coming his way quite as much but 14 points is still nice. He blocked just one shot and didn’t make a huge presence defensively as he wasn’t really used to cover Howard ever.

Kevin Martin – 26 minutes, 11 points, 3 assists, 1 steal – B-

Martin didn’t make a huge impact but was efficient at least making 4-of-8 field goals. He was matched up with Kobe a lot who locked him up pretty good. We’re still waiting on Martin to score big against good opponents.

Kendrick Perkins – 23 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists – C

Perkins’ job was defending Howard and he was nothing too special doing so. He is more valuable than usual in this matchup however but zero points and three rebounds is never enough.

Thabo Sefolosha – 34 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists – C+

Sefolosha is needed more than ever to check Kobe in this matchup with no more James Harden and Martin being so weak defensively. He always does a good job and hit the only three he took last night.

Nick Collison – 17 minutes, 13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block – A+

When Collison gives you 13 points in 17 minutes, that is just huge. He was defending Howard a lot and it was a lot to handle but then he really took it to him at the other end as well. The Thunder needed someone to step up off the bench and Collison was that guy.

Eric Maynor – 8 minutes, 0 points, 2 assists – D

Maynor is simply not looking good this year. Morris played tough defense on him last night and Maynor can’t handle that this year. His impact is so small and he’s not creating any space to shoot or distribute and it’s resulting in him losing minutes every week.

Hasheem Thabeet – 18 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds – C

Thabeet didn’t look awful trying to cover Howard and it was clear Scott Brooks had confidence using him in this matchup. He missed some opportunities on the offensive end but that wasn’t a big deal at the end of the day.

Dec 7, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates a 3 point shot and a foul in action against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

It started out a grudge match, but the Oklahoma City Thunder blew it wide open in the second quarter and continued their dominance until the final whistle, beating the short-handed LA Lakers 114-108.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook absolutely dominated, scoring 36 and 33 points, respectively. Westbrook had 27 of his come in the first half alone.

OKC is 15-2 in its last 17 games, and have won their last seven straight.

For Los Angeles, Kobe put up 35 points in this losing effort, while Dwight Howard added 23 points and 19 rebounds. They trailed by as much as 19 points before rallying in the fourth quarter to bring it within as little as four in the final minute. But it was too little, too late and the Thunder cruised to yet another victory.

The clash between these two Western Conference juggernauts was supposed to be a preview of what’s to come during this season’s playoffs, but with Steve Nash and Pau Gasol both sidelined to injury, the Lakers’ left much to be desired. They are still struggling to find their identity under new coach Mike D’Antoni, but once they find it, the Lakers will surely be a force to be reckoned with once more. Their 27-12 run in the 4th quarter proved just that.

Things got testy when OKC’s Serge Ibaka and LA’s Metta World Peace got tangled up under the basket in the fourth quarter and nearly came to blows. Thabo Sefalosha and one of the referees stepped in to break it up before things got too heated and both players got T-ed up for the skirmish.

The Thunder advance to 16-4 on the season, while the Lakers fall to 9-11. OKC will face the Indiana Pacers next on Sunday Dec. 9.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time this season tonight in OKC. And to everyone’s surprise the Lakers are under the .500 mark at this point in the season.

The Lakers fired head coach Mike Brow just five games into the season after a 1-4 start and hired Mike D’Antoni. But the Lakers are just 4-5 since D’Antoni took over although the team hasn’t had point guard Steve Nash on the floor yet since the hiring.

The Lakers are hurting right now and don’t have much depth to make up for it. Nash and Steve Blake will be out tonight and there’s a chance Pau Gasol will miss the game as well.

Kobe Bryant – who just reached 30,000 career points in his last game – has played well against the Thunder recently and averaged 31.2 points per game against them in the playoffs last season.

The Lakers were unable to contain Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in that series though and it doesn’t look like that is going to change tonight. The Lakers are 8th in the NBA in defensive efficiency so far this season but the Thunder have been off the charts with an offensive efficiency rating of 110.9 so far this year.

Westbrook has been the one leading the charge of late for the Thunder and he always plays well against the Lakers including averaging 25.6 points per game against them in the playoffs a year ago. Chris Duhon will be the one tasked with slowing down Westbrook tonight, something that is just about impossible for him.

The Lakers’ big acquisition of Dwight Howard this summer hasn’t paid off yet this season as the big man doesn’t look totally healthy and has sputtered out of the gates. The Thunder are stocked with bigs that can play Howard too starting with center Kendrick Perkins who has put together a string of nice games over the last week for OKC.

Howard has been dreadful at the line this season shooting just 47 percent and Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said he would consider a Hack-a-Dwight strategy late in a close game.

The Thunder and Lakers were the two most popular picks to come out of the West before the start of the season. While the Thunder have been thriving, LA has been doing anything but. Playing in OKC tonight does not seem like the time for the Lakers to come out on top.

The game will tip at 9:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers hired Mike D’Antoni as their new head coach late last night. It was a move that surprised some since Phil Jackson seemed to be their No. 1 target but a deal could not be reached to acquire the Zen Master.

The biggest aspect of the D’Antoni hiring is that he will be reunited with point guard Steve Nash who thrived so much under his system in the past that he won two MVP awards. Nash was an afterthought in the Princeton offense Mike Brown was running this year and would have remained that way in the Triangle under Jackson.

We can expect to see a very different offense for the Lakers this season now with D’Antoni running the show.

Nash should be featured much more but maybe not as much as he was in Phoenix since Kobe Bryant also needs to be accounted for as someone who needs the ball. The Lakers will be running a lot more pick-and-roll in general and posting up less.

The Lakers are posting up 20.6 percent of the time on offense so far this year and scoring 0.93 points per possession on those plays which is good for 4th in the league. In 2009-10, the last season Nash played under D’Antoni, post-up plays accounted for just 8.5 percent of the Suns’ offense.

The Lakers are running the pick-and-roll 10.7 percent of the time so far this season. Nash and the Suns ran it 19.6% of the time back in 2009-10 and scored more PPP than anyone else in the league with it.

The Nash-Amare Stoudemire pick-and-roll was one of the best in history and such was the case three seasons ago. Nash scored 0.99 PPP as the pick-and-roll ball handler that season which was 10th best in the league. Stoudemire scored 1.21 PPP as the roll man which was 18th in the league.

While Nash now is a slight downgrade from Nash three years ago, Dwight Howard may be an upgrade from Stoudemire. Howard scored 1.36 PPP as the roll man last year with the Magic which was 2nd best in the league. He was also great scoring off cuts scoring 1.41 PPP.

Kobe scored 0.86 PPP as the pick-and-roll ball handler last season which was 41st in the league. He will undoubtedly be doing a lot more of this under D’Antoni and if he can keep scoring at that clip, he should be just fine in the new system.

Another key to D’Antoni-Nash is spot-up shooting. The Suns were the best in the league on spot-up plays three years ago scoring 1.11 PPP. They had a large cast of capable outside shooters back then which the Lakers don’t quite have this year.

Players like Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks should see an increase in spot-up opportunities and both have a history of being very good on those plays in the past.

The Lakers will probably run more under D’Antoni now too. It won’t be seven seconds or less exactly since they are pretty old but maybe something like 10 seconds or less instead.

Transition plays accounted for 13.3 percent of the Suns’ offense three years ago. The Lakers transition offense makes up just 10.1 percent of their offense this year.

The Lakers under D’Antoni may be better suited to match up with the Thunder now than before. The Thunder were 4th best in the league last year defending post-up plays while the Lakers posted up more than anyone.

OKC was in the top eight defending the pick-and-roll last year and has struggled out of the gates doing so this year. OKC was also just 23rd in the league last year defending transition plays. If the Lakers can improve in the pick-and-roll and run more, they may be tougher for the Thunder to match up with.

The Lakers are 3-4 on the year and will play their next game Tuesday night vs. the San Antonio Spurs. D’Antoni is still recovering from knee replacement surgery so likely will not be with the team for that game but he is expected to make his debut within a week or two.

The Lakers will play the Thunder for the first time on Dec. 7 in OKC.

US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers made it official last night hiring Mike D’Antoni, not Phil Jackson, as their next head coach.

The deal in total is for four seasons in which D’Antoni is guaranteed $12 million over the first three with a team option for the fourth.

“We signed Mike D’Antoni to a multi-year deal,” Lakers spokesman John Black told the LA Times. “Dr. [Jerry] Buss, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak were unanimous that Mike D’Antoni was the best coach for the team at this time.”

D’Antonti most recently coached the New York Knicks last season before being replaced by Mike Woodson. He is currently recovering from knee replacement surgery and will take over as head coach within a week or two.

The Lakers started this season 1-4 under Mike Brown and then have won the last two games since he was fired under interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff.

The Lakers wanted Phil Jackson to come back but apparently he wanted too much and a deal could not be reached.

Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash have both expressed their support for the D’Antoni hiring. Kobe also was all four Jackson returning but likes D’Antoni too, idolizing him growing up and he even wore No. 8 to begin his career because of D’Antoni.

Nash has a great history with D’Antoni winning two MVP’s while the point guard in his 7 seconds or less offensive system. Nash, D’Antoni and the Suns made it to two Western Conference Finals together.

The Princeton offense era in L.A. is dead already and there won’t be a return to the Triangle either. Nash will surely be the focal point of the offense again under D’Antoni with some obvious tweaks being made for Kobe, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard as well.

Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers are in search of a new head coach now after firing Mike Brown after a 1-4 start to this season.

Phil Jackson and Mike D’Antoni are both being targeted by the Lakers. Jackson is reportedly “willing to listen” as he awaits the inevitable phone call from the Lakers.

D’Antoni just had knee replacement surgery and wouldn’t be able to travel with the team until later this month if hired.

Some of the Lakers players are already backing the potential hiring of Jackson.

“He’d be great,” Dwight Howard told the LA Times. “There’s a lot I can learn from him. But until he comes, we’ve got to put faith in Bernie [Bickerstaff].”

Jackson once said that if he could pick one player to start a franchise with, it would be Howard and not LeBron James. The chance to now coach Howard in L.A. and chase some more titles might be enough to entice the Zen Master.

Former assistants Jim Cleamons and Kurt Rambis are ready to re-join Jackson on the sidelines if he does return, according to Yahoo! Sports.

D’Antoni would be an interesting fit in L.A. because of his history of not being a defensive-minded coach. To be fair, D’Antoni has almost always had Amare Stoudemire on his team and that never makes it easy to play great defense. Howard would be about the biggest possible upgrade from Stoudemire in terms of defense and could make it so D’Antoni’s system is able to more closely compete for a title.

There is Steve Nash’s history with D’Antoni which also must be considered. Nash thrived under D’Antoni winning two MVP’s and making it to the Western Conference Finals twice. Nash did not look like he was going to be used right in the Princeton offense and the Triangle offense also doesn’t feature a point guard much.

There have been a few other names mentioned as possible replacement candidates for the Lakers head coaching position. Former Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan is among the candidates as well as Brian Shaw and Mike Dunleavy.

Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers have started the season 1-4 and apparently seen enough of Mike Brown on the sidelines.

Brown was fired today after just five games in his second season with the Lakers. Brown replaced Phil Jackson last year and led the Lakers to a 3-seed in the Western Conference and second round exit in the playoffs courtesy of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I have great respect for the Buss family and the Lakers’ storied tradition and I thank them for the opportunity they afforded me,” Brown said in a statement. “I have a deep appreciation for the coaches and players that I worked with this past year and I wish the organization nothing but success as they move forward.”

Brown was faced with the challenge of incorporating a new offense this season in the Princeton and doing it with superstars Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol.

The offense looked a long way away from being mastered and the Lakers aren’t exactly in a position to wait and see how things look after a few months. Their core of stars are all aging and winning now is the No. 1 priority.

The Lakers said they did not fire Brown with a replacement in mind and instead did so to “stop what was happening.” Assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff will take over for now as the interim coach.

Rumors are out there linking former Phoenix Suns coach Mike D’Antoni as a potential replacement as well as former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.

Phil Jacksons’ name has also been brought up as a rumored replacement although it seems like a long shot for Jackson to suddenly come out of retirement again.

We can expect a different look for the Lake Show this season now as they won’t be seemingly restricted within the confines of the Princeton offense. The Lakers will play their next game tonight at home vs. the Golden State Warriors.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

There was supposed to be a new favorite in the Western Conference this season. And when the Oklahoma City Thunder traded James Harden just a few days before the start of the regular season, that notion was believed to be true more than ever.

The Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to return to NBA title contention after acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash this offseason. It may take a little more time than people thought.

The Lakers have started the season 1-4 and most recently lost to the Utah Jazz 95-86. Their only win so far came at home vs. the Detroit Pistons.

The new additions, Howard and Nash, haven’t exactly fit in seamlessly. A big reason for that has been the introduction of the Princeton Offense by Lakers head coach Mike Brown.

The Princeton Offense takes time to learn and the Lakers are trying to learn it on the fly. It doesn’t feature the individual stars on this team like they have been in the past. Instead, it relies on reading and reacting to the defense and moving the ball all around the floor. With ball stoppers like Kobe Bryant and Howard, maybe it’s not the best fit for this team.

Kobe is averaging 27.2 points per game so far this season and shooting 56.0 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three. Those numbers are supposed to mean the Lakers are winning but they are still losing thanks to their weak bench and inconsistency from other starters.

Howard is averaging 22.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. He looks different though, slower and a little out of shape. He’s getting banged up quite a bit, attempting 12.8 free throws per game, and the impact he was supposed to have on defense simply isn’t there yet.

Nash has only played in two games for the Lakers, missing the last three. He only totaled nine points and eight assists in those games and it seems Nash without the ball in his hands 90 percent of the time, isn’t an All-Star anymore.

Fans are calling for changes in Laker country from the style of offense to the head coach. Through just five games in the regular season, they are impatient and deservedly so. This group wasn’t supposed to take this long to mesh, especially with the clock ticking on Kobe, Nash and Pau Gasol. They’re not trying to start a dynasty; they’re trying to win a title now.

Meanwhile, the Thunder haven’t gotten off to the best start themselves, winning two of their first four and having some problems along the way.

The defending Western Conference champs looked like they have taken a step back with Harden’s departure and Russell Westbrook displaying some of the same high-volume shot problems he has always had.

The Thunder can take comfort in the Lakers’ struggles though. It makes OKC look like they are perfectly fine watching the Lakers struggle like this. It means maybe we were too quick to jump ship on the Thunder too. They took a hit with losing Harden but they are still fully capable of improving from what they were last year.

There’s a lot of basketball yet to be played but crowning the Lakers this early was definitely a mistake. It’s still the Thunder’s conference and their biggest competition suddenly doesn’t look so sharp.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The NBA season tipped off last night with the Miami Heat hosting the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Dallas Mavericks (and the Cavaliers and Wizards played too).

The Heat and Lakers have emerged as the most popular NBA Finals pick especially after the James Harden trade so it was interesting to see each team last night for the first time with all of their new additions.

Miami looked very good beating Boston 120-107. They looked supremely comfortable in everything they did as LeBron James scored a very cool 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting in just 29 minutes. Dwyane Wade led the team with 29 points but the Heat were outscored by six in the 35 minutes he played.

Ray Allen was determined to come out and have a good game vs. his old team and he scored 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 31 minutes off the bench.

The Celtics shot 52 percent from the field but turned the ball over 16 times. Boston has a lot of new faces on their team this year and it will surely take some time for them to mesh together.

The Heat have to get an A+ for their performance last night. It was pretty perfect except for them allowing Boston to shoot such a high percentage. They played their small lineups with LeBron and Battier at the four all night and it was something the Celtics simply couldn’t match up with.

Miami seems poised for their best regular season since the Big 3 joined. Being in the easy Eastern Conference, it won’t be hard for them to wrap up the one seed very early in this season.

The Lakers home opener did not go as well. They lost to Dallas 99-91 and look to have a lot of work ahead if they are going to live up to expectations.

Dwight Howard had 19 points and 10 rebounds in his debut but went 3-for-14 from the free throw line and fouled out in 38 minutes of action. Kobe Bryant had 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting with no assists and no free throw attempts.

Pau Gasol looked the most comfortable in the new Princeton offense with 23 points, 13 boards and six assists. Steve Nash became an afterthought and had just seven points and four assists in 34 minutes.

There were times early in this one where the Lakers’ offense looked smooth and it resulted in easy baskets. But as the game went on, there was more hesitation and uncertainty by Lakers players, especially as Dallas went ahead.

Learning this offense will take some time for the Lakers but if they do master it, they will be very tough to beat. Gasol and Howard are skilled enough as bigs to make this offense work and Nash and Kobe should be fine in it as well.

This was Howard’s first game back from having surgery in the offseason and he will also need time to get his conditioning back to where it was. He seems pretty far along considering the surgery. The free throw shooting is obviously a problem but he should continue to look better as the season goes on.

The Thunder’s biggest competition was very different last night. Miami looked amazing, although maybe not too much better than they were last year in the Finals. The Lakers are a long way from reaching their potential.

The Thunder will open up their season Thursday night at 9 p.m. EST in San Antonio on TNT.

Dwight Howard returned to the floor last night for the first time since being traded from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers this summer. This was Howard’s first preseason game as he missed the others while still recovering from back surgery.

The Lakers lost 99-92 to the Sacramento Kings in Staples Center but Howard was productive in 33 minutes scoring 19 points to go with 12 boards and four blocks.

Howard’s first basket came on a lob from Pau Gasol which he threw down with authority early in the first quarter.

The Lakers had their full starting five for the game and they all played over 30 minutes. Kobe Bryant had 21 points, Steve Nash had six points and five assists and Gasol had 14 points, five assists and eight boards.

The Lakers certainly had their moments last night despite the loss where they looked scary good. These included Kobe delivering Howard a few really nice passes that led to buckets at the rim. Howard was also a force inside protecting the rim as he always is.

Chemistry did not appear to be an issue for the Lakers starters as they blended together nicely. It is early but as long as they’re healthy, it shouldn’t take them too long to learn to play together and start winning a lot of games.

The Lakers are just 0-6 so far in the preseason.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

A story came out yesterday that the Los Angeles Lakers are planning to target LeBron James in 2014, when he can opt out of his contract with the Miami Heat and become a free agent.

The idea behind this is that Kobe Bryant might retire after playing two more seasons which would open up the cap room to go after a player like LeBron. LeBron will almost certainly opt out of his contract even if he plans to stay with Miami simply to get a maximum contract.

LeBron was asked about the rumors yesterday.

“That story, I don’t know where it came from, but I understand why it came up because of who I am — it’s going to happen,” LeBron said. “But I’m not going to worry about it. I’ve got to continue to stay focused with these guys and make sure we’re ready for any challenges that come.”

Meanwhile, Dwight Howard is still recovering from having surgery on his back this offseason and has yet to play in the preseason. A source has said that Howard is eyeing the Lakers’ game Sunday vs. the Sacramento Kings for his return.

Howard went on to say that he will be “nervous” somewhat when he returns to the floor.

“I know I’m going to be a little rusty, I haven’t played in so long,” Howard said. “It’s going be a little different, but I’m looking forward to it. Once I get my first dunk or my first block, everything will be OK.”

It will be interesting to see Howard in a Lakers uniform playing with Steve Nash and Kobe for the first time and how well they work together.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James can exercise an early termination option on his contract with the Miami Heat in the summer of 2014. This is a long time from now but there are already some murmurings about where LeBron might go if he decides this.

Of course, the Los Angeles Lakers are now being linked to LeBron.

Several teams’ executives have told ESPN.com they believe the Lakers are positioning themselves to make a run at LeBron James in 2014, when the Miami Heat star can choose to become a free agent.

via ESPN’s Brian Windhorst

Kobe Bryant has talked recently about possibly retiring after two more seasons when his contract is up. It’s not just Kobe’s contract that will be up then, also Pau Gasol’s, Metta World Peace’s, Steve Blake’s and Jordan Hill’s totaling around $65 million.

Essentially the Lakers would be in the market for LeBron to offer him a max contract. The Lakers will also be in position to offer LeBron the best chance to win a title assuming Dwight Howard is still on the roster.

LeBron will have another decision to make and if he makes it for the same reasons as the last one, why wouldn’t he choose the Lakers? Are Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh going to be able to offer LeBron a better chance at a title than Howard in L.A. in 2014-15?

A lot will of course depend on the next two seasons and how the Heat fare. If LeBron can string together two more titles and a three-peat then it’s hard to imagine him leaving. But it’s also very possible the Heat don’t win a title in the next two seasons. And what if it’s the Lakers and Howard dealing them defeat in the NBA Finals?

One thing that could easily stand in the way of this would be Kobe deciding not to retire. There’s nothing close to a guarantee that he will retire after the next two seasons. Many believe he might if he gets his sixth or seventh ring(s). Then there are those who can’t imagine Kobe ever deciding to walk away from the game and him playing into his 40’s.

As far off as this is right now and hard to imagine, LeBron becoming a Laker in a few seasons makes a lot of sense. Let’s try not to think of this Thunder fans.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

It’s no surprise that LeBron James will enter the 2012-13 NBA season as the heavy favorite to win the MVP.

LeBron captured his third MVP in four years last season and appears to be at the peak of his powers. His PER of 30.74 last season was by far the best in the league while Chris Paul came in second with a PER of 27.04.

The Sports Book Bovada currently has LeBron winning the MVP at 9/5 odds. Kevin Durant is second at 15/4. Kobe Bryant is third at 12/1. Russell Westbrook, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash are all 16/1.

Five of the top six players in terms of these odds are either on the Thunder or the Lakers. The Heat, Thunder and Lakers are considered to be slightly in a class by themselves to compete for an NBA title this season and combined with their star power it’s no surprise that the odds look like this.

The odds say that it will be closer to a 2-man race than anything else between LeBron and Durant, just like it was last season. Durant will have a lot of ground to make up if he is going to legitimately take the award from LeBron. Voters are always looking for fresh faces with the MVP though and if the Thunder have a better regular season record and Durant has a career-year, maybe he can pull it off.

Westbrook may be standing in Durant’s way as much as anything given the fourth best odds to win the MVP. That shows how valuable Westbrook is to the Thunder and will make it harder for Durant to really stand out as the MVP of his team and the league.

It’s interesting that Kobe has better odds than Howard. At this stage in his career Kobe is clearly on the decline while a new face in Howard in L.A. could make the Lakers an unstoppable force. If that is the case, often the voters will look to what changed from the year before to place the value and that will most likely be Howard’s impact.

And if you are really crazy, you can bet your money on James Harden to win the hardware at 350/1 odds.

The preseason is now underway and it’s time to overreact to what’s going on in those games. Well, not really. Here is a look at the first installment of our Power Rankings here at Thunderous Intentions from last week.

Since that time there were just a few preseason games for every team. Not a lot changed in terms of that. NBA title odds have been released as well as projections from a lot of sites. It can get you to thinking and rethinking some of your rankings.

Taking some of that into account, here are the newly updated Power Rankings.

1. Miami Heat (1)

It’s going to take a lot for the Heat to fall from the top of these rankings. The best thing they have going for them is they are in the weak Eastern Conference and their road to the Finals once the playoffs begin seems like as easy as ever. The Heat are 1-2 so far in the preseason losing to the Hawks then winning one of two vs. the Clippers in China.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (2)

Unlike the Heat, the Thunder have a good chance of sliding up and down in these rankings once the season begins. That all depends on how teams like the Lakers and Spurs look. For now, the Thunder are still the Western Conference champs and all signs are that they are going to get better next season. OKC is 0-2 so far in the preseason losing to Houston and Utah on the road.

3. Los Angeles Lakers (3)

Dwight Howard still hasn’t played any preseason games yet but Steve Nash has gotten a chance to get to know his new teammates. If there is any team with a chance to jump to No. 1 in these rankings in the near future, it is the Lakers if they begin the season looking absolutely dominant, which could happen. The Lakers are 0-3 so far in the preseason having lost to Golden State, Portland and Utah.

4. San Antonio Spurs (4)

A lot of projections out there like the Spurs winning more games than anyone else in the league this coming season. It isn’t unreasonable since they have done just that in each of the last two years. These rankings are more about winning a title and not regular season prowess and since the Spurs still have basically the same roster as the last two years, they have a big hump to get over to surpass the top three on this list. The Spurs are 3-1 so far in the preseason having beaten Atlanta, Houston and Florence and lost to Denver.

5. Denver Nuggets (6)

The Nuggets moved up in these rankings. Why? I overlooked them somewhat last week I feel. John Hollinger has them finishing as the No. 2 seed in the West and that is totally possible in my opinion as well. Their depth will be unmatched and the addition of Andre Iguodala will really improve their defense giving them a leg up on a lot of teams. Denver is 2-0 beating the Clippers and Spurs so far in the preseason.

6. Los Angeles Clippers (5)

The Nuggets jumped the Clippers in these rankings. I feel Denver is a safer bet in the playoffs and the regular season than the Clippers. The Clippers added some depth but still might have the same issues as last season. Vinny Del Negro is still their head coach and that is a problem. The Clippers are 1-2 in the preseason so far losing to the Nuggets and splitting two games with the Heat in China.

7. Boston Celtics (7)

The Celtics looked good in the preseason so far. Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger impressed. Jason Terry and Courtney Lee will essentially be an upgrade from Ray Allen as well. Boston is deeper than they have been in awhile and have addressed some of their weaknesses from last year. They lost to a Turkish team in their first preseason game then beat AC Milan and then lost to the Knicks in overtime two days ago.

8. Indiana Pacers (9)

I have the Pacers jumping a spot here as well. I expect them to come out of the East as the No. 2 seed and that advantage cannot be overlooked in these power rankings. It means they would meet the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals and advance further than any other Eastern Conference team. The Pacers are 1-1 in the preseason so far in two games vs. the Timberwolves.

9. Chicago Bulls (8)

I drop the Bulls behind the Pacers here. Chicago has a lot to prove before they get any higher in these rankings and that starts with Derrick Rose’s health. The Bulls are 1-2 so far in the preseason beating Memphis and losing to Cleveland and Minnesota.

10. Memphis Grizzlies (NR)

The Brooklyn Nets were previously in the No. 10 spot on these rankings while the Grizzlies were not ranked. Brooklyn has to prove a little more before being ranked ahead of a team like Memphis who is so solid. The Grizzlies have one of the best frontlines in the NBA making them a very tough matchup for some teams ahead of them in this list including OKC, the Spurs and the Nuggets. The Grizzlies are 2-1 so far in the preseason beating Real Madrid and the Hawks and losing to the Bulls.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Dwight Howard missed the first Los Angeles Lakers preseason game last night while Steve Nash made his Lakers debut as the Lakers lost 110-83 to the Golden State Warriors.

Nash started and played 14 minutes, scoring five points to go with three assists on 2-of-7 shooting. Kobe Bryant scored 10 points in 18 minutes and Pau Gasol had nine points.

“I don’t have an update for you guys,” Howard told the Los Angeles Daily News. “I’m on track. I want to be 100 percent. They need me at 100 percent. I didn’t come here to play preseason. I came here to win the championship. That’s my goal. That’s the only thing I’m focused on. I’m going to play when I’m 100 percent.”

Howard had back surgery this summer and is still recovering from it. He was described as “unbelievable” in some of his practices earlier this week though.

Fans will have to wait a little longer before seeing the new-look Lakers in full force with Howard in the middle.

The Oklahoma City Thunder don’t play the Lakers until Nov. 21. Howard is hoping to be back for the start of the regular season at least so it is likely he and the Lakers will have their new Big 4 ready to play the Thunder by that date.

Kobe Bryant had some interesting comments at the Los Angeles Lakers’ media day Monday. Kobe was asked if he felt like he was “passing the baton” off to Dwight Howard and if this was still his team. Kobe said he was “passing the baton” to Dwight but also made it very clear that the Lakers were still “his team.”

This kind of attitude from Kobe is potentially very good news for the Oklahoma City Thunder and anyone else who might have to get by the Lakers this coming season.

When the Lakers acquired Howard and Steve Nash this summer, they had truly put together a super team. Adding Howard and Nash with Kobe and Pau Gasol immediately makes the Lakers much better than they were last season and gives them one of the best starting fives (on paper) in the NBA.

The real reason the Lakers should be considered NBA title favorites next season is because of Dwight Howard much more than because of Kobe Bryant. Howard is quite possibly the most valuable basketball player you can put on an NBA floor right now. If you forget about all of the drama this past year in Orlando, you’ll remember that he affects a game defensively more than anyone else in the league. He is efficient on offense and rebounds as well as anyone. He made a roster that included Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis as his forwards a perennial top defense in the league.

Now let’s move on to Steve Nash. Because Andrew Bynum is coming off such a great season and Howard off back surgery, a case can be made that the upgrade to Howard from Bynum may not be too significant (a couple of wins in the regular season). Nash has become the underrated addition by the Lakers this summer. Nash will be 39 this season but is still an elite point guard. He is one of the best pick-and-roll players in NBA history and paired with Howard, could throw him back to his days running one of the best pick-and-rolls ever like he did with Amare Stoudemire in Phoenix.

Kobe can only get in the way of all this. His next great challenge is to change his game to fit his new teammates, not to stand pat and act like he’s still top dog in L.A. Kobe doesn’t exactly have the greatest history with this though. He basically ran the most dominant center ever out of L.A. in 2004 because he wanted to be the unquestioned alpha dog. He’s also coming off a season in which he did so much for the Lakers on offense playing 38.5 minutes per game, attempting 23.0 shots per game (third highest ever in his career) and having a usage rate of 33.0 (second highest ever in career) all at the age of 33 (now 34).

Change is necessary for Kobe next season if the Lakers are going to truly succeed and that change needs to be drastic. The biggest obstacle for the Lakers will of course be the defending Western Conference champion Thunder.

The Thunder had no problem matching up with the Lakers last season mainly because they never had to double-team anyone. Thabo Sefolosha and James Harden played Kobe straight up, Serge Ibaka locked up Gasol and Kendrick Perkins handled Bynum. The Thunder will come into next year with the same philosophy except now Perkins will be matched up with his old nemesis in Howard and Russell Westbrook with Nash (who he outplayed in their regular season matchups last season).

On paper, the matchups have gotten tougher for the Thunder. But the paper also says Kobe needs to defer more than ever now. Kobe really struggled vs. the Thunder last season. In three regular season games vs. OKC last season, he went 7-for-24, 7-for-25 and 9-for-26 from the field. In the playoffs, Kobe was better averaging 31.2 points per game vs. the Thunder but still only shot .426 percent from the field.

Kobe saying the Lakers are still his team tells us that he is still going to be the “one” with the ball in his hands in clutch situations. Kobe of course has the reputation of being a great closer but stats say he is more average than great at this. Who is great though? Steve Nash.

Maybe Kobe does learn how to defer some more next season and he coexists pretty well with Howard and Nash but there is still one time of the game when we know Kobe isn’t deferring. Kobe will have the ball in his hands late, playing isolation basketball and hoisting bad shots over defenders that can now check him more easily just like he always has. The best play for the Lakers then will be bad misses and air balls that Howard and Gasol can clean up. The play they should be running late is high pick-and-rolls with the ball in Nash’s hands and Howard rolling to the rim.

We won’t know for certain how the new-look Lakers are until the season starts (just a few weeks away now). The Lakers aren’t winning a title though with Kobe still thinking he is “the man” on this team. Not when it should be Howard or Nash instead.

The Thunder don’t have to worry yet.

The release of NBA 2K13 is just about two weeks away now. We’ve had a lot revealed about the game so far including signature skills that have been added to this year’s game and the top 20 overall rated players in the game.

There is a lot of hype for the game and not only because of the game but because it will be the first time NBA fans get a chance to play with the Lakers with Dwight Howard or the Heat with Ray Allen.

Which team will be the most popular in NBA 2K13? Where do the Oklahoma City Thunder place among the most popular teams in the game?

Here is a prediction power ranking the top 10 teams that will be used in NBA 2K13 when it comes out.

10. New Orleans Hornets

The Hornets will be the worst team that is used the most in NBA 2K13 mainly because they will have Anthony Davis. Normally, I would expect the No. 1 overall pick to be overrated in a video game but I think Davis’ 81 overall is pretty appropriate. With fouls rarely being called in online play, Davis will be a beast protecting the rim. Austin Rivers will also be another reason this team is used a lot. With the dribbling moves now being moved to the right stick, Rivers will become even more lethal with his deadly handle in the game. Throw in Eric Gordon who will be one of the top 3-point shooters in the game and you can see why this team will be popular to play with.

9. Golden State Warriors

Besides having a great fan base that seems to always be well-represented in the online community, the Warriors made some nice moves this offseason that will make them a more popular team. Andrew Bogut gives them an inside presence they didn’t have before and Harrison Barnes will be one of the highest rated rookies in the game. There may not be a better 3-point shooting backcourt than Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the league right now so they will be very fun to use in the run-and-shoot style of play you see so often in online games.

8. Boston Celtics

The Celtics were always popular to use online the past few seasons. They were obviously a talented team but the main reason was because they had Ray Allen who was always one of the best 3-point shooters in the game. They don’t have Allen anymore and that’s why I see them dropping all the way down to No. 8. It should be a pretty big letdown when players decide to use the Celtics in online games. Unless you plan on calling plays and executing your offense every possession, don’t expect to win many games with the Celtics online.

7. Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose may still be recovering from his knee injury in real life but in the NBA 2K13 world, he will be as healthy as ever. Rose has become over the past two years one of the best video game players in the NBA. The Bulls have a great fan base as well that will be sure to represent their team online. The new dribbling controls will make Rose that much more popular too so expect to see a lot of Rose going 1-on-5 in the NBA 2K13 online world.

6. New York Knicks

The Knicks are ranked this high mainly because of their fans. If they still had Jeremy Lin, they might be No. 2 on this list. They still have Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire who will both be very good on the digital hardwood and able to compete with some of the best in NBA 2K13. Like the Bulls and Rose, expect the Knicks and Melo to be doing a lot of 1-on-5 play online.

5. Los Angeles Clippers

Lob City was one of the most popular teams to use online last year after the Clippers acquired Chris Paul. It’s hard to pass up the possibilities of throwing alley-oops with Paul and Blake Griffin in a video game. With Blake on the cover this year, the Clips will be that much more popular. Paul is also rated among the best in the game at a 94 overall and after a great season last year, should be extra nasty in NBA 2K13.

4. Brooklyn Nets

I may be underrating the use of Brooklyn in NBA 2K13 with them at No. 4 here. The move to Brooklyn has a lot to do with this as NBA 2K13 is also being produced by Jay-Z and it will be the first time fans get a good look at Brooklyn’s new uniforms. They also made a big trade this offseason bringing in Joe Johnson which now gives them one of the best starting fives in the league. Deron Williams is always one of the best video game point guards being such a great 3-point shooter. This Nets team will be one of the best in NBA 2K13 for sure.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder may have the best video game squad in the league right now. Kevin Durant has the most range in the NBA which online gamers love and Russell Westbrook is one of the best athletes in the league who will be one of the best dunkers in the game as well. Serge Ibaka can protect the rim as well as anyone in a video game and James Harden should get a very good rating in NBA 2K13 as well. This team has it all except for the ability to score really easy baskets inside but there really aren’t many teams that have this. Durant being on the cover should help make him even more unfair than usual.

2. Miami Heat

This is the first time that the Heat are not No. 1 in these power rankings since they acquired LeBron James. They are still going to be very popular this year as LeBron may end up with a 99 overall rating and at least a 98 which is what he had last year. LeBron will be as good as ever in a video game having just won his first NBA title. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will still be rated very high as well. Ray Allen gives the Heat another dimension with 3-point shooting and don’t forget Shane Battier either that will be deadly from beyond the arc as well in NBA 2K13.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

They got Dwight Howard and that was all it took to propel them to the top of this list. The Lakers have always been very popular in NBA 2K games because Kobe has always been nasty and their bigs make them very tough to match up with. Howard will make them that much better. Steve Nash helps too as someone gamers will use to shoot 5-plus threes per game. Defensively, there is no better player than Howard at protecting the rim which is essential in online games. There aren’t many teams on this list that have a center who can match up with Howard either. The Lakers have been called the best team on paper by a lot of NBA players and they will be rewarded most greatly in NBA 2K13.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Los Angeles Lakers Team Overview

The Lakers made the biggest moves in the NBA this summer acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. The Lakers exited the playoffs in the second round each of the past two years, winning just one game in total in those series.

With the team on the decline, Howard and Nash are now brought in to resurrect their title chances. Their starting five of Nash, Kobe, MWP, Gasol and Howard looks like possibly the best in the NBA right now.

The Lakers also acquired Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks who should each contribute off the bench next season. Chris Duhon and Early Clark were acquired in the Howard trade as well. The Lakers also drafted Darius Johnson-Odom and Robert Sacre.

Andrew Bynum, Ramon Sessions, Josh McRoberts and Christian Eyenga won’t be on the roster next year.

The Lakers went 41-25 last year and finished as the 3-seed in the Western Conference. Kobe was second in the league in scoring averaging 27.9 points per game.

The new look Lakers should feature a more balanced attack as they will also institute the Princeton offense in their schemes next season. There will be a learning curve playing together but it is likely that all the pieces will mesh easily and the Lakers will be back competing for an NBA championship next season.

Last year

The Oklahoma City Thunder played the Lakers three times in the regular season and beat them twice.

The Thunder won at home 100-85 on Feb. 23 with Kevin Durant leading the way with 33 points. Russell Westbrook had 19 and James Harden had 16. Serge Ibaka had 11 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks.

The Lakers shot just 38.5 percent from the field. Kobe had 24 on 7-of-24 shooting.

The Thunder won in the second meeting in L.A. 102-93. Westbrook was dominant this time scoring 36 while Durant added 21. Kobe had 23 but was 7-for-25 from the field.

The Lakers won the final meeting in L.A. 114-106 in double-overtime. This game was most memorable for Metta World Peace elbowing Harden in the head, resulting in a suspension for World Peace.

Kobe was clutch late in this game but still struggled overall with 26 points on 9-for-26 shooting. Durant led OKC with 35 but on 11-for-34 shooting. Westbrook had 14 points but was a miserable 3-for-22 from the field. Ibaka was huge with 18 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks.

When the second round of the playoffs came around, the Thunder would have home court advantage against the Lakers.

The Thunder won the first two games at home. They won Game 1 easily 119-90 then Game 2 narrowly 77-75. The Lakers won Game 3 99-96 then the Thunder stole Game 4 on the road 103-100 and closed out the series in Game 5 in OKC 106-90.

Durant averaged 26.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in the series. He shot .516 percent from the field, .391 percent from three and .853 percent from the line.

Westbrook averaged 25.6 points, 4.6 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. He shot .485 percent from the field and .300 percent from three.

Harden averaged 16.0 points per game and shot .358 percent from the field and .250 percent from three.

Kobe averaged 31.2 points per game and shot .426 percent from three and .111 percent from three.

The matchup

In the regular season the Lakers were 15th overall on offense in terms of points per possession.

Their bread and butter was their post-up offense which ranked 2nd in the league at 0.89 PPP. The Thunder were 4th best in the league defending post-up plays and were one of the few teams in the league who could match up with the Lakers’ bigs without doubling them.

The Thunder also never doubled Kobe in their matchups, going with Thabo Sefolosha or Harden on him man-to-man always.

The Lakers had the 11th best defense in the regular season and were best defending post-up plays while they were middle of the pack vs. isolation and pick-and-roll plays.

In the playoffs, the Lakers’ offense improved overall. They were still great in the post and improved on isolation plays and the pick-and-roll. This closed the gap vs. the Thunder but OKC’s ability to win the close games vs. the Lakers made it a short series.

The Lakers still were not good vs. isolation plays on defense and were the worst of every playoff team. They were better against the pick-and-roll though but as we all know now, OKC’s superior talent simply won out.

Next year

The Lakers will look a lot different next year with Nash and Howard in the lineup.

Nash averaged 10.7 points and 8.0 assists per game vs. the Thunder in three meetings last year. He shot only .480 percent from the field and .300 percent from three.

Howard averaged 22.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game in two meetings vs. OKC and shot .563 percent from the field.

The Lakers are now more equipped to match up with the Thunder next year but there is no guarantee that they will be able to beat them in a series just yet.

The Thunder will play the Lakers first at home on Dec. 7, then in L.A. Jan. 11, in L.A. again on Jan. 27 and then finally at home again on March 5.

The more surprising news on the Lakers front was Steve Nash deciding he wanted to play with what were once his biggest rivals.

Kobe Bryant wasn’t surprised at all.

“Kobe called that a month before it happened,” Kevin Durant told Yahoo! Sports. “I didn’t believe him. He was just like, ‘We are going to have Dwight. We are going to have Steve Nash.’ He just talks a lot of trash, jokes and laughs. But he said it. I don’t think anyone paid attention to it but me and him. He said it and it happened. And they got better, a lot better.”

Durant went on to say that the Lakers have the best lineup in the league on paper. Chris Bosh said just about exactly the same thing a few days ago when talking about the Lakers. It seems players like Durant and Bosh wouldn’t mind the pressure of winning a title shifting to the Lakers for next season.

The pressure is off the Heat now but it is mounting on the Thunder. They have progressed incrementally in each of the last four seasons. The next step for them would be winning a title after losing in the NBA Finals last season. The Lakers acquiring Howard and Nash will take the focus off Oklahoma City.

“It was a great move for [the Lakers],” Durant said. “[Howard] is the most dominant center in the league. It’s going to make it tough on other teams. But I like that challenge. We all like that challenge in OKC. It should be fun. That’s what the Lakers do. They make big moves. That’s part of their DNA.”

If there’s anything you can take away from Durant’s recent responses to questions about Howard and the Lakers, it’s that he and the Thunder aren’t backing down. They almost seem a little annoyed that the Lakers are getting all of this attention and that people are crowning them as champs before they have even played a game.

The Lakers will surely be a better team next season but if there is one team that can match up with them the best, it’s the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant knows that. The team knows that. And that’s why they’re excited to play the Lakers next season.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James has established himself as the clear-cut, best player in the NBA. He’s won three of the last four MVP awards and led the league in PER in each of the last five seasons.

LeBron will head into the 2012-13 season as the frontrunner to win the MVP again but that’s not always a good thing. With the MVP award, voters are always looking for a fresh face or better story to win the award even if they aren’t quite as deserving.

We saw this in 2010-11 when Derrick Rose won the award despite being ninth in the league in PER. He led the Chicago Bulls to the best record in the NBA though doing just about everything for that team and it prevented LeBron from winning his third straight MVP.

So while LeBron has a very good chance to lead the league in PER again this season, he has a lesser chance to win his fourth MVP in five seasons.

Here’s a look at five players who have a chance to steal the award from him.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Durant has emerged as the consensus second-best player in the NBA. He’s coming off his best season yet in which he led the Thunder to the NBA Finals and he captured his third straight scoring title. He also saw increases in a lot of stat categories including shooting percentage, rebounding and assists. If we see some more all-around improvement from Durant in those areas and the Thunder put together a monster regular season win total, he may very well be in perfect position to win his first ever MVP.

Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers made the biggest move of the summer trading for Howard and now they are right up there again as title contenders. Howard has a chance to drastically improve the Lakers and that kind of effect will make him very relevant in MVP talk. He already makes as great an impact as any NBA player in defense. There is a chance though that Howard will miss a large chunk of the season and won’t play until January or February. If that is the case, then his chance at winning are pretty slim.

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Paul is as valuable as any player in the league is to their team. In his first season with the Clippers last year, he led them to the second round of the playoffs and was second in the NBA in PER. He proved himself as one of the most clutch players in the league and seemed to single-handedly drag the Clippers to wins at times. In his second season with the Clippers, we could see a big improvement for the team while Paul remains just as efficient. If they are fighting for the top seed in the West late in the season, expect Paul’s name to come up when discussing the MVP.

Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Just when we thought the Celtics were going to roll over and die, they went out and had a pretty good offseason putting together a roster that should still compete for a high seed in the East next season. Rondo has continued to progress as a player and led the league in assists per game last season. He may be poised for a monster regular season as the Celtics now totally hand over the reins of the team to him. We’ve seen the Heat mail it in somewhat the last two regular seasons which may leave the door open for the Celtics to challenge them for the top seed in the East. If they do, then Rondo will get a lot of MVP love next season’s end.

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves

Love has been making some of the biggest improvements of anyone in the league over the past few seasons. Last year he finished fifth in the league in PER and averaged 26.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He has been in a class by himself throwing up numbers like that. The Timberwolves will need to improve their win total by quite a lot for Love to be considered an MVP candidate but if they do make the playoffs, it will be because Love is playing like an MVP.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The landscape of the NBA was shaken up this summer when the Los Angeles Lakers went out and traded for Steve Nash and Dwight Howard making themselves legitimate title contenders over night.

It’s even got some Miami Heat players saying some interesting things. Chris Bosh said on a radio interview that he thinks the Lakers have the “best team on paper” now, even better than the Heat. He then said that the Heat need to “start over” to defend their title.

The Lakers do have an impressive team on paper now with a starting five that includes Nash, Howard, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. But you’d still think the defending champions would say they have the best team.

Bosh is a weird guy though so it’s not a total surprise a comment like this is coming from him. If it was Dwyane Wade speaking, you could expect him to say something like, “We are the champions. We’re the best until someone beats us.”

Kevin Durant and James Harden were asked about the Lakers when they appeared on the Jimmy Fallon Show and they replied with silence at first and then finally Durant added coldly, “Good for them.”

Everyone will be gunning for the Lakers and their new All-Star team next season. That means a lot of the pressure is now off the Heat. That will be a good thing for them but winning two straight titles is no small task either.

The Lakers may not be playing with their “best team on paper” lineup at the start of the season either. Howard is still recovering from back surgery and may not be ready until January.

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers made themselves into legitimate NBA title contenders with the moves they made this offseason acquiring Steve Nash then Dwight Howard. Nash and Howard will join Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in L.A. giving the Lakers one of the best starting units in all of basketball.

As is always the case when personnel changes of this magnitude take place, there will be a learning curve for the team to mesh. It shouldn’t be too difficult as it looks like all of the pieces will fit together nicely for the Lakers. But players like Nash and Kobe will now be playing a slightly different role than they have been used to in the past few seasons.

“The way that we’ll put it together, Steve’s going to have an opportunity — he’s going to quarterback the team — and so he’s going to have an opportunity to come down the floor every possession and in early offense play pick-and-roll if he wants to,” head coach Mike Brown told ESPN Los Angeles. “It’s up to him, based on where he decides to take the ball or a call that he makes or an action that he does, it’s up to him to get us into some of the looks of the Princeton offense.

“So again, with him quarterbacking, or making that decision, he’ll still have a chance to get the ball back after he moves or after bodies move. I don’t want to completely give away what we’re trying to do, but in a nutshell, he will have an opportunity to play pick-and-roll at the beginning of almost every play set coming down the floor in early offense. And if not, he can also choose to get to some of the looks out of the Princeton by making a pass or doing an action or doing a call or whatever.”

From their new offense to their new point guard, the Lakers will definitely have a pretty different look to their team next season. Will it mean they will be a tougher out for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs next season?

Overall, the Lakers do look like they have improved a ton on paper from last season. Nash and Howard are certainly upgrades but how will Kobe handle taking on a less dominant role in the offense next season?

The Lakers lost to the Thunder in five games in the second round of the playoffs last season with Kobe averaging 31.2 points per game while shooting .426 percent from the field. The Thunder were able to hold him in check by playing him straight up for most of the series with Thabo Sefolosha or James Harden.

Kobe had some big games in the series, scoring 36, 38 and then 42 in the final three games but the Thunder were okay with Kobe playing that role. The Lakers were at their best when more players were involved on the offense.

That’s where Nash comes into play. Nash has been one of the best passers in the NBA for the last decade and still is even at the age of 39. He finished second in the NBA in assists per game last season and should provide the Lakers with a more balanced attack for next season.

The Thunder won’t see the same Lakers team they saw last year in the playoffs, one that was predictable and relatively easy to matchup with. Kobe won’t be carrying the load by himself and that alone will make the Lakers a tougher out for the Thunder.

The biggest challenge will be Russell Westbrook’s. Westbrook will have the assignment of matching up with Nash and slowing him down. Against the Thunder last season, Nash averaged 10.7 points and 8.0 assists per game against the Thunder and shot just 48 percent from the field and 30 percent from three.

Westbrook is one of the best athletes in the NBA, completely capable of harassing Nash for 48 minutes when they are matched up. While Nash will provide the Lakers’ offense with more flow for most of next season, that flow will be interrupted and choppier when Westbrook is the one guarding him.

Westbrook isn’t the most sound defender in the NBA as he gambles quite often on defense. Nash will burn him on backdoor passes and savvy offensive maneuvers a few times when these teams play but for 48 minutes, Westbrook should have the edge.

The point is the Lakers will have to alter what they are doing on offense a lot when they play the Thunder compared to when they play the rest of the league. That starts with the matchup of Nash vs. Westbrook.

One of the greatest strengths of this Thunder team is that they force their will on a game more so than any other team in the league because they are more talented and more athletic than almost anyone else. The Lakers may have gotten better from last season but they haven’t changed this fact.

We will have to wait and see to totally understand what to expect from a Thunder-Lakers matchup. It’s hard to imagine Kobe on a basketball floor deferring to a dominant ball handler like Nash.

The time for the Lakers to beat the Thunder with Kobe shooting 25-plus times per game is no more. With Nash playing the role of “quarterback” it has to give the Lakers a better shot to top OKC though.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

It’s the end of August and things have settled down somewhat in the NBA. There aren’t a lot of free agents left out there looking for teams and we have a good idea of what kind of roster everyone will have for the start of next season.

The summer began pretty quietly with the NBA Draft, were there wasn’t quite as many trades as usual. Then the biggest news came with restricted free agents until Dwight Howard was eventually traded.

Here is a look at some of the best and worst from this offseason.

Best

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers clearly lead the way as having the best offseason of anyone this summer. They started it off by trading for Steve Nash, shocking just about everyone as Nash decided to join his past rivals in chase of a ring. The Lakers immediately became a much stronger team after this trade as their point guard play has been very weak in the past few seasons.

Then the Lakers landed Howard in what was inevitable and surprising all at the same time. All-Star centers have a knack for finding their way to L.A. and the trade wasn’t completely out of the blue. But the Lakers really didn’t give up much at all to get Howard, just Andrew Bynum and Christian Eyenga.

The Lakers immediately became title contenders after the Howard trade. They kept Pau Gasol and now have a starting five considered possibly the best in the league. No one is going to hand the title over to them but there isn’t another team that improved as much as they did.

Brooklyn Nets

With the move to Brooklyn on the horizon for 2012-13, the Nets wanted to make sure they had a quality product on the floor to give their new city. The biggest move they made was locking up Deron Williams for the next five years.

The Nets were then very much in the hunt for Howard who even came out and said Brooklyn was the only place he wanted to play next year. A deal could not be found with the Magic and Brooklyn decided to go a different direction. They traded for Joe Johnson then re-signed Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries to hefty contracts.

The Nets are spending a lot of money for the team they have right now but the money isn’t a huge issue to their owner. The one problem is that they are pretty locked in to the core they have now and if it doesn’t work out, they will be in some trouble.

The acquisition of Johnson and locking up of Williams were great though. The Nets have a very good chance of contending in a weak Eastern Conference right now with the roster they have. Wherever Howard landed was going to make that team have the best offseason in the league but despite the Nets missing put on him, they did a pretty good job.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics were supposed to be on the way out, old and unable to compete for a title anymore. The moves they made this summer will extend that window a little longer. The Big 3 era is over now as Ray Allen signed with the Miami Heat this summer but that era was really already over anyway.

The Celtics started things off re-signing Kevin Garnett for a good price. They also drafted well addressing a need in their lack of size. They picked Jared Sullinger who slipped very late in the draft and has the potential to be one of the most talented players from this draft class. Then they picked a 7-foot center in Fab Melo.

Jason Terry decided to sign with the Celtics a little later, essentially replacing Allen’s role. The sneakiest move for Boston was a sign-and-trade to acquire shooting guard Courtney Lee who seems just what this team needs. Lee is a good outside shooter and solid wing defender that should mesh well with this roster.

The Celtics may still be a far way off from the Miami Heat but their roster looks better than it did last year despite the expectation that they were still on the decline.

Worst

Orlando Magic

The Magic were put in a no-win situation this year. Their franchise player wanted out and quit on the team. The Magic knew they couldn’t replace him and were going to take a significant step back next season. So they decided to stay strong and hold out for the best possible deal despite all the drama that was going on.

Then they traded Howard and the deal they ended up getting seemed pretty terrible. They weren’t able to get Bynum or Gasol from the Lakers in the deal, although they may not have really wanted either, and instead ended up with Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic and Moe Harkless. They also received four protected first-round picks which won’t be very valuable either.

The plan was to completely start over with new GM Rob Hennigan who wants to imitate the Thunder model. They are definitely doing that but good luck drafting your version of Durant-Westbrook-Harden-Ibaka in the next three drafts.

The Magic come away post-Howard looking closer to the Bobcats than a team that is young with a promising future. It never ends well when your star player wants out but how could it have gone worse for Orlando?

Houston Rockets

The Rockets made some of the most noise this summer as they tried to go all-in on acquiring Dwight Howard. That obviously didn’t work out and their consolation prize was restricted free agents Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, not horrible but nothing even close to Howard.

While the Rockets were stockpiling assets to throw Orlando’s way, it started to look like they had the best package to woo the Magic. Later the rumored deals Houston was willing to trade to Orlando proved to be false and they weren’t offering quite that much for Howard.

The Rockets are parting ways with Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic, Marcus Camby and Chase Budinger from last year’s team while replacing those guys with not much. They do have three first-round draft picks that could be cool and Donatas Montiejunas is coming over next season.

The Rockets have a very good chance to have the worst record in the conference next season. Sometimes you have to get worse before you can get good and that seems to be Houston’s mindset right now.

New York Knicks

There wasn’t a lot the Knicks could do heading into this offseason but what ended up happening was embarrassingly bad. The worst thing was when they decided not to match Houston’s offer sheet for Lin. They are avoiding some harsh luxury tax penalties by parting ways with Lin, but letting him walk for nothing is truly unforgiveable.

The Knicks are replacing Lin with Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton. No one can get excited for that.

The Knicks were in the running for Nash too before the Lakers swooped in and got him. Not only did the Knicks lose Nash but Landry Fields as well, who signed a big offer sheet with Toronto that New York chose not to match.

When the Knicks acquired Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, they were supposed to start competing for NBA championships. It still feels like they are very far away from this and it’s hard to see how they can change that too.

Where the Thunder fit in

The Thunder had a quiet offseason for the most part and that’s how they like it. They weren’t the best or worst, and closer to one of the best if anything. In the draft, picking Perry Jones who fell so far to them is a great pick. He has nothing but potential and if he doesn’t work out, no big deal either.

The Thunder then made some headlines a few days ago locking up Serge Ibaka for the next four years. James Harden is next on the list and those close to the team really feel like that will happen soon.

The Thunder will improve next year simply from experience and are still the favorites in the Western Conference. There’s nothing wrong with that.

It felt like everyone had forgotten about the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bruce Bowen hasn’t.

There’s a team out West called the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those young boys, it seems like each and every year they get better… I don’t think you can rule them out with their starters, their bench. You look at Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka down low, I think they will be aggressive and challenge Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol. Then you look at James Harden coming off the bench, who’s going to matchup with him? It’s not even a question with Steve Nash and Russell Westbrook. So now it leaves Kobe and Kevin Durant…. I’m not sold on this new Lakers team because it takes time to gel.

via Pro Basketball Talk

This is what I like to hear. Bowen is absolutely right that the Thunder match up very well with the Lakers. The Lakers will have much more trouble trying to keep up with the Thunder than the other way around.

There is no question that the 2012-13 Lakers team will be a better one than the team OKC beat in five games in the second round of the playoffs last year. They’re going to have to be a lot better though to knock off the Thunder.

That’s just the Thunder though. The Lakers do seem to have even more so increased their chances against the other elite NBA teams like the Spurs and Heat.

If next season plays out like it should, OKC will be waiting for the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. L.A. will likely have to go through the Spurs or Clippers first which will be challenges for them too. A matchup with the Heat of course wouldn’t happen until the NBA Finals.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers appear to have drastically improved their roster from last year with the two major trades they made this summer acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. So much so that many are calling them NBA title favorites already.

On paper, the two trades seem like they will definitely make the Lakers a bigger threat in the Western Conference, where they finished third last season behind the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Let’s take a closer look at how Howard and Nash will change the Lakers’ offense.

Pick-and-rolls

The Lakers were in the bottom half of the league last season in pick-and-roll offense efficiency at 0.84 PPP. The Lakers have been a team that hasn’t had a point guard play a significant role on it in recent history. L.A. acquired Ramon Sessions last season and he improved them in that department somewhat but not much.

Most of the ball handling was done by Kobe Bryant who was second in the NBA last season averaging 27.9 points per game although shot only 43 percent from the field. Kobe found his offense with the pick-and-roll 12.2 percent of the time and had a 0.86 PPP.

The two primary roll men in the pick-and-roll for the Lakers were of course Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Gasol was surprisingly below average with a 0.73 PPP. Bynum was hardly ever used in the pick-and-roll, just 3.4 percent of the time, and had a 1.12 PPP.

Nash and Howard should help the Lakers most in this area of the offense. Nash has been a master of the pick-and-roll for all of his career and Howard is one of the best roll men in the league.

Nash did 60.9 percent of his scoring in the pick-and-roll last season and had a 0.92 PPP. Nash is also as good a passer as anyone in the league and was second in the NBA last season in assists. This doesn’t take into account how effective he is distributing as well.

Howard was the roll man 8.9 percent of the time on offense and had a blistering 1.36 PPP. Howard may even improve upon that number now being surrounded by more offensive options and Nash handling the ball most of the time.

Gasol is the player most likely to benefit from playing with Nash now. Gasol will never be wasted with Nash on the floor and should good more touches in better spots. He should become the perfect pick-and-pop option as well.

Post-ups

The Lakers posted up as much as any team in the NBA last season as it accounted for 20.5 percent of their offense. They were very efficient at it two finishing second in the NBA with a 0.89 PPP.

Kobe was most efficient when working out of the post with a 0.93 PPP and he got 19.3 percent of his offense from there. Gasol had a 0.95 PPP and Bynum 0.89.

Howard was right around where Bynum was last season posting a 0.88 PPP. This is where acquiring Howard shouldn’t be too much of an upgrade from what Bynum did last season. Bynum has one of the best post-up games in the NBA and played nearly the entire season last year making his first All-Star game for the Lakers.

One area where the Lakers really thrived in was scoring off cuts, which often came from big-to-big passing out of the post. Gasol had a 1.17 PPP on cuts last season and Bynum had a 1.53. They each got a decent chunk of their offense from this too, 14 percent or more for both. The Lakers as a team were fifth in PPP in cuts last season at 1.26.

Howard only got 8.2 percent of his offense from cuts last season, about half as much as Bynum, and had a 1.41 PPP. Gasol is a very skilled passer as a big so we should expect Howard to have more offense from this next season. Not to mention Nash who will open up more opportunities for cuts in the offense next year as well.

Isolations

The Lakers got 12.4 percent of their offense from isolation plays last season and were right in the middle of the pack with a 0.79 PPP.

Kobe of course leads the way in this department with isolations accounting for 27.9 percent of his offense. That number should go down some next season as Kobe won’t feel the need to try and do everything for the Lakers on offense with Nash and Howard in town now.

Kobe had a 0.86 PPP on isolations which isn’t bad but he is on the decline overall and the less he has to rely on isolations, the better for the Lakers. Kobe has been more reliant on his jumper more than ever lately and has lost a step on his drive.

Nash is a very good isolation player too and often looks to score in these situations after bigs switch on to him in a pick-and-roll. Nash had a PPP of 0.89 on isolation plays last season.

Spot-up shooting

Spot-up shooting is the area Nash will really help the Lakers. You can go down a long list of pros that Nash made into excellent 3-point shooters just by playing with them. The Lakers went to spot-up shooting plays 16.6 percent of the time last season and were 19th in the league with a 0.94 PPP.

Kobe had a 0.92 PPP on spot-ups and Gasol 0.88. Expect both of those numbers to go up and to see the Lakers get more of their offense from spot-up jumpers as well. The acquisitions of Jodie Meeks (1.03 PPP) and Antawn Jamison (0.93 PPP) will help in this department as well.

Conclusion

The Lakers should have a much more efficient offense next season in the pick-and-roll and spot-up shooting. Howard is hardly an upgrade over Bynum in the post however. Nash will make things very easy for everyone and shooting percentages should all climb from last season.

The Lakers were close last season and Howard and Nash will make them legitimate title contenders next season. This was just how their offense will improve next season. Their defense should as well with the impact Howard makes on the end of the floor, being second to none.

The key will be how much time it takes these guys to learn to play together. This isn’t like what Miami had to deal with when LeBron, Wade and Bosh teamed up. All of these pieces fit so we should see them gel quicker more like how Boston did back in 2008.

Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers shook up the landscape of the NBA again when they traded for Dwight Howard last week.

The deal will immediately make the Lakers legitimate NBA title contenders and in some people’s eyes, the NBA title favorites already.

The Lakers will have to go through the Oklahoma City Thunder though. The defending Western Conference champs didn’t make any big moves this summer simply because they didn’t have to. The Lakers have improved their roster leaps and bounds from last year but the Thunder are still more than capable of matching up with them.

Here’s a look at how the matchup will breakdown.

Point guards

The Lakers’ biggest weakness the past few seasons was the point guard position. They went out and got Steve Nash this summer which will drastically improve that area for them. Nash will turn 39 next year but is still playing at an elite level. Last year with Phoenix, he averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists per game in just 31.6 minutes per game. He also matched a career-high shooting .532 percent from the field and also shot .390 percent from three.

Old age is not the ideal weapon to throw at OKC’s Russell Westbrook who is one of the best athletes in the NBA. Westbrook is coming off a great season himself where he was fifth in the NBA averaging 23.6 points per game. It’s safe to say Nash will have a pretty difficult time staying in front of Westbrook.

Westbrook will have a huge edge in terms of athleticism but Nash can make up for it some with his basketball savvy. Westbrook has struggled somewhat in matchups vs. experienced point guards but in the long run, Westbrook will still have the advantage here. Nash could outplay him in a half of a game, but for the full 48, the advantage goes to Westbrook.

Shooting guards

The Lakers have always been used to having a huge advantage at this position with Kobe Bryant. That may not be the case against the Thunder though. James Harden was the Sixth Man of the Year last season, made the 2012 Olympic team and is very much closing in on the heels of Kobe.

It’s not fair to say that Harden will have an advantage over Kobe yet in this matchup but it’s definitely closer than some people would think. The Thunder made Kobe really work for his points when they played in the postseason. Kobe had a pretty good series averaging 31.2 points per game and 10.2 free throw attempts per game but the Thunder still did a good job containing him.

Thabo Sefolosha is an elite perimeter defender that has no problem guarding Kobe one-on-one. The Thunder would be able to rely on using Sefolosha on Kobe a lot in this matchup if they could count on playing a lot of small lineups like last year. But that will be less likely with the Lakers’ size for next season.

Harden will have to match up with Kobe even more so than usual. Kobe should see a decline in the advantage he has over Harden in this matchup and there may even be some games where Harden can match Kobe.

Small forwards

The Thunder will just about always have the advantage at this position. No one in the NBA can slow down Kevin Durant. Metta World Peace used to be his kryptonite but not anymore. Durant averaged 26.8 points and shot .516 percent from the field vs. the Lakers last year in the playoffs.

Durant even proved that not even LeBron can really slow him down when he averaged 30.6 points per game in the Finals and shot .548 percent.

The Lakers will have a very tough time slowing down Durant and will have to weather his storm. That’s the biggest problem for the Lakers in this matchup. Even though they have improved their roster, they haven’t necessarily improved it in a way to slow down OKC’s big three on offense.

Durant and Westbrook should have less success driving into the paint with Howard now lurking but they are jump shooters first anyway, and that’s how they beat L.A. last year.

Power forwards

Now we’re getting to the big men where the Lakers will have the advantage. At power forward we will be seeing a lot of Pau Gasol vs. Serge Ibaka. Ibaka finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting last season but still has some issues guarding good post-up players like Gasol.

Gasol was not very assertive last year though especially against the Thunder as he only averaged 12.9 points per game against them in the playoffs. Gasol looked much better in the Olympics but it isn’t a guarantee he will carry over that level of play back to the NBA.

Ibaka seems to always play big against the Lakers too. He can get his midrange shot easily with Gasol matched up with him and averaged 4.0 blocks per game vs. the Lakers in their playoff series.

Gasol is expected to be more comfortable with the Lakers next season in their Princeton offense and with Nash. Ibaka should improve too though and will be able to slow down Gasol again.

Centers

This is where we see the biggest change. Howard is far and away the best center in the NBA right now. It’s easy to forget this since most of our recent memory with him is how he ruined his image in Orlando.

Howard is impossible for almost any team to match up with except maybe the Thunder. Kendrick Perkins has always had the reputation as being one of the few guys in the NBA who could guard Howard one-on-one. While this may not be exactly true it should still limit the Lakers’ advantage over the Thunder at this spot.

The key with the Thunder vs. the Lakers is they don’t have to double anyone. The Thunder never had to double anyone last season until they got to the NBA Finals and ended up stuck with Harden guarding LeBron in the post. That’s a huge reason why they lost and a huge reason why they got that far is that they are able to match up with every team man-to-man.

This is why the Thunder should still be considered the favorites in the West. The Lakers got better but not quite enough to dethrone the Thunder, at least without seeing them play yet.

The Thunder and Lakers will play for the first time next season Friday, Dec. 7 on ESPN. Howard is expected to miss the beginning of the season but could be back in time for that game. If he isn’t, the next meeting between the Thunder and Lakers will be Jan. 11.