Lakers show they can be beaten

The Lakers started the season with an 8-0 run, something unseen since the 1997-1998 season. Since then they have lost 118-112 to the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets showed that with the right mixture of plays the Lakers are not invincible.

Denver appeared to settle for more jumpshots than usual. By settling for shooting mid/long range shots, they limited the effectiveness of Pau Gasol's ability to defend the paint. This tactic left the Lakers with a big problem as Pau isn't the best at getting out and contesting shots.

Kobe's 25pts weren't enough to turn the game

Then the Lakers played the Phoenix Suns in a rematch of last years Western Conference Finals, at the Staples Centre where the Lakers were still unbeaten. The Suns came along and beat them comfortably. This surely must of the Lakers' Head Coach a little worried, losing 2 games in a row, one at home and with rest in between both?

The Suns came in and copied the Nuggets' gameplan from the get go. They stroked in a team-record TWENTY TWO 3-point field goals.Just one LESS than Los Angeles even attempted to make. 66 points out of their 121, just under half. And what's more they only missed a handful of 3pt attempts. Again, the Lakers were shown that size isn't all that matters. It isn't a full-blown crisis just yet, but if they lose to the Milwaukee Bucks alarm bells should start going off.

And no, this doesn't mean they won't win their 3rd straight Championship. The Lakers still have the edge over everyone (except maybe Boston) when it comes to 7-game series'. They are just better, they have good depth in every position, Kobe doesn't show any signs of ageing and Pau Gasol is quickly becoming a huge part of the Lakers team and one of the top players in the league.