Suddenly the Clippers Lose, The Lakers Win
By Bosmat Eynav
Sports Columnist
The Lakers have a tough lesson to learn. They need to rise above the frustration of humiliating loss and turn it into a new vision. As we all know, it takes a long time to transform anger, pride, and the ravages of ego into a feeling of unity, humility and efficacy as individuals and as a team.
Under the microscope of the media, every misstep is magnified and the pressure is exponential. This only serves to make it more difficult to find that still center from which clarity, trust and confidence spring.
This resulted in the kind of playing we say for nearly half the season: ineffectual team dynamics.
In Nature, there is a moment during metamorphosis when the seed falls apart and loses it’s structure en route to expressing it’s potential. A new behavior and appearance manifests. This is an inevitable stage of change.
As an observer, it seems that the Lakers are in such a process of transforming from a team without structure, dynamic or flow and shifting into a cohesive team of winners They recently won five of six games..
In the throes of the unknown, the media is having a field of day of speculation and doubt. The Lakers must turn down the volume, quiet their minds and understand that what they are experiencing is part of the growth.
Last week our two LA teams both squared off against Oklahoma City, the defending Western Conference champion, at Staples Center. The carnival began, the tension was high and both teams started out strong. They displayed team work, dynamic inter-play, unity and hustle on the court.
At crunch time the Clippers faltered. Then a few days later the Lakers came through.
Finally the Laker crowd received what they had been wanting for months.
The weeks went on and the Clippers, playing without the injured Chris Paul, suffered a stretch of defeats. As fate would have it, just as the Clippers absorb their hard knocks, the Lakers are showing signs of life. Their victory in Brooklyn without Dwight Howard (injured) and Metta World Peace (suspended) was inspiring.
Here is a question: which is of more value; youth or experience? Oklahoma is a team of talented players, well known to each other with an inspired dynamic. In the moment of Truth, when both games were down to the wire, experience won out. The Young and the Restless Clippers did not work well under pressure.
Showing the experience of their age, the Lakers responded to the pressure with quiet strength.
In the media, the question of whether the Lakers make it to the playoffs looms large. In my eyes, there is good news. The Lakers are making the shift to become a well-oiled machine. I trust the process and have faith in them.
I invite you to do the same.
Nike Wind contributed to this article
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