Defensive Force--Kobe for DPY?

Well, so much for that supposed "test" last night. The Lakers steamrolled the Houston Rockets in the second half holding them to a measely  34 points. 82 for the game and 37.8 percent shooting for overall. The Rockets dominated a sloppy Lakers team in the first quarter, taking a 14-point lead into the second. In the second quarter, the Lakers second unit dominated the Houston Rockets’— ending any debate of which team is deeper. Granted, the Rockets second unit will be bolstered by the return of Shane Battier, but the Lakers bench squad is too long and athletic. Ariza makes a highlight reel play every time he touches the ball (3 steals, 3 assists and 4 offensive rebounds). Odom had 2 steals, 2 blocks and 2 assists. And Jordan Farmar (16 and 6 with 2 steals) would start on most of the other teams in the L. It’s almost not fair because the bench brings a different, quicker, faster, more frenetic pace. They full court press. They trap. It’s just a completely different look from the starters. Pau Gasol played like a beast against Yao Ming and the sturdy, but undersized power forward crew in Houston. 20 and 15 with 3 assists and 3 blocks? That was the quietest great game I’ve ever seen. And, let me officially start the Kobe for Defensive Player of the Year campaign. He wasn’t the only one, the Lakers trap zone looks fierce but T-Mac shot 1-11 and Artest managed only 1 make better. Mr. Bryant did a lot of duty on both of them. Scary. His offensive numbers are lower across the board, but he’s working harder than I’ve ever seen him on the defensive end. Sound anything like a certain Celtic? #24 added a pair of blocks and steals to his game high 23 points. Kobe’s still turning the ball over too much, but I expect his decision making to improve as the season goes along. Look for his shot selection to get better too. If the Lakes stay healthy, they could win 75 games. Yup, that would be best ever.