The Los Angeles Lakers are actually winning. And if we sound surprised it’s because we are. They are an overrated barrel of house wine. And their win against the Clippers this past weekend didn’t inspire Phil Jackson to think otherwise about his starters.

“I didn’t enjoy how the first unit played,” he said. “The ball stopped too often. They didn’t have good movement, didn’t play together, did a lot of individual stuff with the ball. As a result, there were turnovers and steals that lost us our momentum in the third quarter, which was difficult to watch. “I tell them sometimes that I can hardly wait to get the second unit on the floor the way they’re playing.”

Tough crowd. And then Kobe Bryant shed a little light on Jackson’s evaluation.

The Lakers begin a four-game trip tonight against the Chicago Bulls, who were part of a more dramatic story line when the teams met Nov. 18 at Staples Center. “It’s no different than any other game,” he said. “We’re going to get ready to go out there and punch the clock.”

If the Lakers stopped comparing themselves to valet attendants and our auto repair man, then maybe their wins would be a little more convincing.

First unit has been second-rate, Jackson says [LATimes]
Image [Getty]