Without defensive effort, Lakers aren't virtually a threat

Lately, things haven’t being very pleasant for the Lakers, and losing to Sacramento didn’t fit too well with the Lakers. But, they managed to secure a lead, after losing it a 11-point third quarter lead. Lately, the Lakers are struggling on holding on to leads, but still are managing to win games.

Still, we can't beat up on the Lakers much. After all, they're 18-3, leading the West with the most wins this season, but barely.

Mainly, the Lakers can’t control big cushions, because of their inconsistency defensively. For a few games now, the Lakers haven’t looked firm on defense, and with their rematch against the Boston Celtics looming ever larger on Christmas Day, the Lakers need to make adjustments promptly.

Fine, I get the perception that the Lakers secured a 115-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns, but barely. I get the perception, the Lakers offensively dominate their opponents, but defense is a significant fragment to winning a title.

If the Lakers are going to have any sensation in early June, then they’ll have to elevate their intensity defensively. The Lakers offensively are flawless, and their performance offensively against the Suns, aided their advantage to eluded short-handed Phoenix.

In a five-player deal, the Suns traded guard Raja Bell and forward Boris Diaw to Charlotte for Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley. And was even without their center Shaquille O’Neal, who reportedly attended funeral service for his grandmother, in this contest there was less hype regarding Shaq versus Kobe, for a Lakers/Suns rivalry that’s continuing to become thinner and thinner.

No longer does a Lakers/Suns rivalry exist, for one the cocky guy who clotheslined

Kobe Bryant during the first round of a playoff series a few years ago. Yes, I’m talking about Raja Bell. And Coach Mike D’Antoni abandoned the desert for Broadway, so now Phil Jackson doesn’t have a coach on the opposite side who he can jaw back and forth with during timeouts. And lastly, the Suns aren’t nearly as good as they once were.

Since the arrival of Shaq, the entire complexion changed for the Suns. With D’Antoni’s up-tempo offense, Shaq’s inability to run at full strength up and down the floor hurt the Suns transition game and fastbreak points. The Lakers barely won without Shaq, who has yet to face his old team at Staples Center this season.

Perhaps, issues among Shaq, Kobe and Jackson are resolved. That’s not a rivalry. Instead it’s just the Lakers playing against a West opponent, in which they should easily beat.

Though, the Lakers beat the Suns for the second time this season, it wasn’t in a pretty fashion. Seemingly, the Lakers were unsteady and off balance midway in the third, losing rhythm and allowing Steve Nash to find his rhythm.

With Phoenix, controlling the tempo for most of the game, a three-pointer nailed by Nash gave the Suns their first lead of the night, 75-74. He just scored seven points and had two assist on two-for-12 shooting in the entire game.

This game consisted of high-scoring, and no defensive effort, in which the Lakers were very fortunate to leave with a victory. If the Lakers offensively wouldn’t have had produced, particularly late in the fourth, they could’ve possibly lost their second straight game for the first time this season.

Skeptics normally perceive Pau Gasol as a soft individual who doesn’t play as effective as he’s capable of playing. Well, offensively Gasol didn’t have a soft outing, with a team-leading 28 points scored on 11-for-14 shooting and five rebounds.

For the Lakers, they used their advantages inside the paint. Andrew Bynum posted 17 on seven-for-11 shooting, and scored 12 in the first-half. He rebounded strongly after Tuesday night’s performance against the Kings, entering halftime four points above his total average on Tuesday.

Once again, Kobe Bryant started off sluggish with just four points in the first-half on a ragged two-for-seven shooting, but finished with 18 points on six-for-16 shooting.

Suddenly, Sasha Vujacic’s resurgence favored the Lakers. In the first quarter, Vujacic buried a three-point shot, for his first made shot in three games.

Undoubtedly, the Lakers are consistent offensively, but defensively they need cultivation and if the Lakers plan to hoist that trophy in June, then their eagerness and assertiveness will have to come into playing a role.

Obviously, their offense played a role. Bryant lobbed a pass inside to Bynum for a two-handed slam with 3:58 left, giving the Lakers a 100-92 advantage. Kobe yelled, “Yah”! Then pumped his fist and gave Bynum praise for his effort.

But, the Lakers defensively didn’t have too much to praise about. Phoenix's Matt Barnes knocked down some big shots in the second-half, to finish with 25 points on 10-for-20 shooting, and nailed five three-pointers, threaten the Lakers. Grant Hill scored 23 on nine-for-11 shooting, and had a huge second-half as well.

Still, the Lakers are strong enough to repeat as West champs this year, but still uncertain about their strength against East teams, such as the Celtics and Cleveland, teams that both play defense exceptionally well. The Lakers will have to match their intensity.

If the Lakers become more assertive defensively, then they’ll automatically be the most alarming NBA team that will strike fear in each opponent they encounter. But currently, no opponent is intimated.

Asked Sacramento or Indiana, it’s obvious they weren’t intimated. With greater teams looming, the biggest one on Christmas, the Lakers could start preparing to rise defensively. There’s no better time than now, before the playoffs arrive.

However, the Lakers are the NBA champions of the West, with defense or no defense. But, the legitimate champions requires potent defense. And now, that’s missing.

But in a matter of moments, the Lakers won’t be missing on defense. Now they understand what it takes to win a championship, if they find themselves defensively, after the Celtics embarrassingly beat the Lakers to win the championship.

For that championship victory, the Celtics understood things defensively.

Now, it’s the Lakers turn to understand things defensively, and when they understand they’ll be crown champs. And that's not an overstatement.