LOS ANGELES — When the Los Angeles Lakers first convened for training camp in late September, center Timofey Mozgov came with a clear goal (and question) for the team.
"I think we have to go into the playoffs, or why are we playing?" asked the veteran center.
The answer to "why are we playing?" seemed obvious. After winning just 17 games last year, the Lakers' primary goal should've been developing its squad of young, promising players like Brandon Ingram, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. The team had no real shot to compete in the Western Conference.
During its preseason forecast, ESPN.com predicted the Lakers would win just 25 games and finish dead last in the West.
Fast-forward to Wednesday night in Chicago: The Lakers, playing on the second night of a back-to-back, without their starting guard tandem of Nick Young and Russell, overcame a 14-point deficit to beat the Bulls, 96-90.
With the win, the Lakers improved to 10-10—good for ninth place in the conference through almost a quarter of the season.
"The fact that we are [at .500] speaks a lot ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Eric Pincus
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