Do Kobe and Company Need Viagra To Avoid Going Soft?

In the process of being humiliated in last year's Finals against the Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers were commonly criticized for being too soft on the defensive end. Indeed, it seemed at times as if Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom were vying with one another for the all-time record of fewest personal fouls committed in a Finals series.  Every time a Celtics player drove the lane, the Lakers' bigs would kindly step aside to allow an unhindered path to the basket. This practice enabled the Celtics to set two new records for the Finals: their come-from-24-points-behind win in Los Angeles in Game Four and their series-clinching 39-point victory in Game Six. Full credit goes to Phil Jackson and his Lakers team, however.  They have learned the hard lessons from such an embarrassing show in last year's Finals.  All the talk out of Lakerland over the past few months has centered on the well-known mantra of successful teams: "Defense wins championships." In fact, the Lakers started ... (link)