I was very conflicted last night about how to feel. Two basketball games with teams that I care about were on at basically the same time, so I had to switch from one to the other and back again to keep up wit both. On the one hand, I had to watch UCLA underachieve and lose to unranked Michigan. This game was really hard to watch. Us UCLA fans have been so spoiled these past few years with all the great teams and championship runs. This team may turn out to be another great team some time down the road as they have a lot of talent, but right now they looked really out of sorts on offense. I have a feeling that this team was very overrated at #4 in the nation, and by the end of the season we might not be ranked in the top 20. But that's really to be expected I suppose after losing so many great players to the NBA last season. Anyway, this loss put me in a sour mood. But on the other hand, Phil, obviously after having read my previous note, got the Lakers to start playing the very good defense that Laker fans have become accustomed to seeing this season. This was a very good bounce back game after the two howlers they had put up previous. (Let's see if they can keep it up. If not I may have to write another scathing note to get their attention.) Watching this game should have put me in a great mood, but the Bruin's horrible loss was still relatively fresh on my mind as well. So I guess I was both happy and sad simultaniously. It was weird.

After watching the Chicago Bulls lose to Portland 116 - 74 and seeing how easily the Trailblazers held the disfunctional Bulls offense to only 37 pts in each half, I have to think about the Lakers win over the Bulls as somewhat less impressive. Yes they won, and a win is a win is a win, but after how lackadaysicle their defense was against Detroit, I was really looking for them to come out and crush the Bulls. True the game was never really within reach or in doubt. But when I was watching the game, I remember thinking, "hmm...if this game were closer, the way the Lakers are playing D, they might just give it away. " This recent complete domination of the Bulls by the Trailblazers only serves to provide more evidence that it was not, in fact, the Bulls own offense that let them score 107 pts against the Lakers but really the Lakers poor defense instead. If they really want to seriously contend for the Championship again this season, they are going to have to show a consistently strong defensive effort and not fall into the mentality of "oh we can turn it on whenever we want and if we wait too long Kobe will just bail us out." Last year, I don't believe the had the ability to play consistently great defense, with two of their best defenders, Bynum and Ariza out for much of the season. But this season, they have shown that they are capable of stiffling defense and to not play this way every night can only be chaulked up to laziness and complacency, two characteristics that I know FOR A FACT THAT THE BOSTON CELTICS DO NOT, AND WILL NOT EXIBIT! (while I will forever loath and dispise that team for what they did, I do have great respect for the way Doc Rivers, KG and Pierce keep a fire lit under their teammates, night in and night out. I very much wish that Phil, Kobe and Derek would take a page out their book.)

All this being said, we are 8-1 and there is plenty of time to shape up, but this trend needs to be nipped in the bud before it becomes a bad habbit. Phil? Are you listening? Good.

NOOOOOOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!!!