Is this the end of the Lakers' dynasty run?

The Lakers are in disarray whether or not Kobe wants to admit it. As the final seconds ticked off the clock and Ron Artest was taking an early shower, what remained of a packed house showed their disapproval for the efforts on court. Scattered boos and cat calls could be heard through out the arena. They better get it out of their system now because if this series continues the way it's been going, the lights in the Staples Center are going to stay off until next season.

The series has been an enigma. Statistically, the Lakers have been the better team. Winning the rebound battle, more blocks, more steals, more points in the paint, fewer turnovers, equal field goal percentage. So why are the defending champs down 0-2 to a perenial playoff burnout?

Wednesday night, it's easy to point to if you're looking at the stats. 3's and free throws. The Lakers shot 10% on their 3 point shots and they wouldn't even have had that if it weren't for two meaningless threes late in the game, with the outcome decided. What is absolutely baffling to me is a professional basketball team shooting 55% from the free throw line. Yet, it was all L.A. could muster.

Take a look beyond the box score, though and you'll see what's becoming obvious. The Lakers don't trust each other. Andrew Bynum said so himself, "All 13 of our guys have trust issues right now. I think it's quite obvious to anyone watching the game -- hesitation on passes, and defensively we're not being a good teammate because he wasn't there for you before -- little things." Well, it's the little things that win championships.

Andrew Bynum, again was a perfect example of not trusting his team mates. As J.J. Berea torched the Lakers guards, the smallest guy on the floor was getting uncontested floaters in the lane. Why? Kobe answered this question, "...He gets frustrated when he supports a guard coming off the screen-and-roll and nobody supports him." It's coming down to a pick your poison scenario. When Berea or Kidd come off the screen, Bynum has to decide if he's going to try and stop the ball or stop the pass. Stop the ball and there's an uncontested dunk, by Dallas' big men. Defend the pass and Berea and Kidd are going right to the hoop with no yellow shirts to stop them.

So, back to the question at hand. Is this the end of the Laker's Dynasty run? I don't think so. The pieces are all still there. One of the most dynamic players of all time, a strong front court and in my opinion, one of the finest 6th men in the game in Lamar Odom. However, the one piece that the Lakers will be missing next season could be the biggest. Phil Jackson. Jackson is retiring after this season and without him at the helm, there is no telling which way the ship will turn.

Do I think the Lakers will win the title this season? In my opinion, no. But we're going to find out what they're made of tonight in Dallas playing without their best defender Ron Artest. If L.A. wins tonight, watch out because we may still have a series but if Dallas closes the door on them tonight, we will see a new champion this year.

Kobe Slams Hornets, Lakers Lead 3-2

Kobe Bryant slams it home over Emeka Okafor
(Photo Credit to Harry How/Getty Images)

The Lakers weathered the storm early, surviving a first quarter that saw New Orleans go 13 for 16 from the field and Chris Paul dishing out 8 assists. New Orleans looked to be in control of the game, leading by 9 points after the first quarter, but the second quarter was Kobe time.

Bryant went off for 12 of his team high 19 points in the second quarter, including a thunderous dunk over Emeka Okafor, which seemed to answer any questions about the superstar's health. The Lakers lead by 3 at the break and never looked back, outscoring the Hornets 52-39 in the second half in which the visitors only managed 36% from the field.

Los Angeles withstood New Orleans' torrid shooting in the first half by amassing  22 second chance points to the Hornets 2 and also dominated the paint 42-30 against the undersized New Orleans front line. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum came up huge for the hometown squad combining for 34 points and 18 boards, 7 of them on the offensive end.

The Lakers had 6 players in double figures, lead by Bryant's 19. Bynum added 18 and Gasol, 16 as the Lakers made a concerted effort to establish a low post game against a New Orleans team who is desperately missing David West, lost late in the regular season to a torn ACL.

The Hornets had 3 players in double figures, with former Laker Trevor Ariza pouring in 22 points, shooting 5 of 8 from three. Chris Paul continued his exceptional series, with 12 assists and 20 points in a losing effort. The Hornets need to regroup and find a way to contain Los Angeles' inside game if they hope to push the series to 7 games.

Not many expected New Orleans to put up such a fight after losing All Star caliber David West, but they managed to take one in the Staples Center to open the series and with one more win, can cause a one game playoff with the defending champions. Game 6 is back in New Orleans as the Hornets try to avoid elimination. If tonight was any indicator, it could be a long summer for Hornets' fans.