SIXTY FLOORS ABOVE Philadelphia's Center City, sitting at a side table by the window-walled lounge of the Four Seasons Hotel, Malik Monk peeks through the glass toward the hustle and bustle below.
It's a Wednesday afternoon in late January and the Lakers are set to face Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers the next night, in the fourth game of a six-game East Coast swing.
They're 2-1 so far -- a rare reprieve in a season rife with turmoil. Russell Westbrook's play has improved since he was benched a week earlier.