Only a little more than seven weeks have gone by in the NBA 2012-13 season, but for Los Angeles Lakers fans, it is starting to feel a lot longer than that as the Lakers squad continues their struggles to get momentum going.
And part of the reason has been the struggles and injuries dealt to one of their most important players.
Pau Gasol made his return Tuesday after sitting out for several games with knee problems, helping the Lakers narrowly beat the woeful Charlotte Bobcats in a 101-100 win. But despite that good news, all is still not well in Lakers Nation.
With a 12-14 record, the Lakers have looked lost for most of the season despite the trio of Kobe Bryant, Gasol and Dwight Howard. In fact, the Lakers have lost six of their last 10 games and have losing records both at home and on the road.
Gasol, who played 29 minutes and racked up 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots in his return, hasn't been playing well this season, averaging only 12.4 points and 8.8 rebounds, far below his 18.5 career point average and 9.2 rebound lifetime mark.
And in the only two games he has played in the last two weeks, he has struggled further, scoring only 10.5 points with 8.0 rebounds while shooting a dreadful 33.3 percent from the field.
In addition, there has been the question as to whether Howard and Gasol--whose name continues to be floated in trade talks in scenarios involving the New York Knicks and returning-from-injury star Amar'e Stoudemire and the Atlanta Hawks' star forward Josh Smith--can coexist in the same lineup, as both players thrive in the low post but might not mesh well together under head coach Mike D'Antoni's "seven seconds or less" offense.
Howard is shooting 52.3 percent in the last 10 games for a productive 17.3 points after shaking off offseason back surgery.
Bryant told reporters this week that he didn't expect Gasol and Howard to be sharing much time together on the court.
"We did the same thing a few years ago with Andrew [Bynum] and Pau," Bryant said. "In the Triangle Pau was never comfortable playing the forward position. Andrew was a center so a lot of times we just split 'em. They both would start, then Andrew would come out and Pau would take center and we'd kind of rotate them out."
Gasol notes that the Lakers have a chance to be dominant with two talented seven-footers to throw at teams, but added that the team needs to find its balance first.
"I think it's good that we spend some time together on the court and also apart so I can play a little more center and closer to the basket. But we have to find a balance and the right rotations and timings out there where we can exploit our size when we're together and also give each other some rest," he said recently.
"We're two talented players and we can overpower people. You're talking about two top big guys in the league, you should take advantage of it."