As of late last week, teams all over the NBA officially have hit the halfway point of the season. So where does everyone stand? Who's thriving as the year unfolds? Who's struggling? It's time to take a look around the landscape with a quick NBA stock watch.
The Lakers have a rhythm this year. They look underwhelming and dysfunctional for a few weeks, then they look surprisingly decent and fun, and then they crash back to earth. That was true even with LeBron James in the lineup. Now that LeBron is hurt, things are getting particularly dicey.