The Lakers gearing up for the second half of the season (Creative Commons).

The Lakers barely slipped past the Clips in the teams' first meeting, needing a Derek Fisher buzzer beater to cap what was otherwise a lackluster Laker performance.

Beginning with the Clippers' matchup, the Lakers will begin what I consider the most important 10 days of their 2010-11 season.

The Lakers are at the midpoint of the season and need to put together a substantial run against quality opponents – both at home and on the road – in order to reassert themselves as the team to beat going into the playoffs.

Home games against Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the high octane Oklahoma City Thunder and Deron Williams and the always tough Utah Jazz; and three away games at Dallas, the Clips and Denver are those games. 

As Phil Jackson put it, "I'd like to see us put a string of games together, I think that's really important. Gain the type of confidence that you have in what you're doing out there regardless of your opponents and go through a space of time in which you can run a certain sense of winning streak and keep it going.”

Jackson’s previous excuses of “boredom” on the part of his team during three horrific losses to the Bucks, the Heat and the Spurs cannot be applied to Friday's game against the Nets, the team's 41st game of the season. There’s no room for boredom when you can see the finish line. Although the Lakers are just two wins under their midseason mark from their 2009-10 championship year, they are just 6-6 against playoff teams this season.

If the Lakers win another championship this season, they'll become just the sixth team in NBA history to three-peat – a daunting task by any measure. Keep in mind, though, that three of the five teams to do so have been coached by Phil Jackson.

So how are the Lakers going to get back on track?

They have to return to the formula that has worked for them the past two years:

• The Inside-Outside Game – The Lakers must continue to pound the ball inside to Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. True, Gasol has looked sluggish as of late as a result of playing a high number of minutes in Bynum’s absence, but the Lakers have to play inside-out basketball in order to free up those open looks that characterize the triangle offense. I wouldn’t be surprised if we also begin to see more of Bryant in the post. The Lakers went to that at the end of the game against the Warriors and it was extremely effective.
• Bryant as Distributer – When Bryant has fewer than 20 field goal attempts in a game, the Lakers are virtually unstoppable. Although Bryant has an uncanny feel for the game, he will often resort to taking over on offense when his team goes cold. If Bryant can restrain himself during his team’s cold streaks and continue to create open shots for his teammates through his driving ability and by passing out of the double team, the Lakers will continue to win games.
• Smart Help Defense – The Lakers’ help defense has been a major concern for me lately. Too many times, Lakers players will double team or help out on the perimeter on a generally poor perimeter player. They need to remain aware of who they are guarding and what their strengths are.

One thing is for sure, I’ll be glued to the TV beginning Sunday.

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