The Lakers have road games lined up the next two nights with the Eastern Conference's best team (the Knicks) and its worst team (the Wizards). A loss tonight in New York wouldn't be the end of the world, but if Kobe Bryant and co. lose in Washington tomorrow, the Mayans may have been right about 2012 after all. In advance of tonight's nationally televised matchup, let's round up a few Lakers notes….
- People around the league are whispering that one more setback in his injury rehab could end up costing Steve Nash the entire season, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Shelburne also tweets that the Lakers continue to assess their options at point guard, but that it's unlikely the team will do anything until at least December 15th, when offseason signees become trade-eligible.
Earlier updates:
- Sam Amick of USA Today discussed the Lakers' slump with lead executive Jim Buss, who believes "many little factors" are contributing to the team's struggles. Amick also spoke to Steve Kerr, who thinks Phil Jackson's Triangle would have been a better fit for this roster, but doesn't want to pass judgment the Lakers until Steve Nash and Pau Gasol are healthy.
- In spite of their early-season problems, the Lakers still appear to be the winners of the summer's four-team Dwight Howard blockbuster, according to Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney of SI.com.
- Following up on Kevin Love's recent comments about the Timberwolves, Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post wonders if the UCLA product, who has an offseason home in Los Angeles, would sign with the Lakers when he hits free agency in 2015.
- Yesterday, we passed along a Howard quote in which he suggested he "knows" where he'll be signing in free agency next summer. D12 has been known to change his mind in the past, but that still seems to bode well for the Lakers.