The Lakers are 1-1 since Kobe Bryant returned from injury. They are a game behind Cleveland for the best record in the league. They lost to the Mavericks on the road, on the second game of a back to back, by single digits only after a Kobe pull-up long three-pointer clanged off and Pau Gasol was unable to secure a rebound. So to throw out the idea that there's a problem with the Lakers is a little like complaining about the Sistine Chapel being dusty.

Nonetheless, you can see a significant change in the Lakers since Kobe returned versus the streak they had with him out, and it's not pretty. Put simply, you have to wonder if Kobe terrifies the bench.

Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll noted this in their recap today:

"I'd like to tell you we won't be inundated with too many 'Does Kobe make the Lakers worse' articles, but there's no denying the team has not played as well with him as they did in the 5 games without him, and somebody's going to go there simply to be provocative. Because, you know, it's Kobe's fault that the rest of his team seems to think it's OK not to play with full focus because he'll just bail them out."

It's an interesting point, and I wanted to be provocative. Not really. There's no way you can blame Kobe for the chemistry issues. He demands a high-if-not-perfect level of execution; always has. You know this about him. One reason the Black Mamba nickname is so perfect for him is you can't blame a snake for being a snake. So Kobe can't be blamed for the problems of his cohorts being unable to adapt to the pressure. What's been fascinating is how they've struggled to adapt to that pressure.

With Kobe out, Shannon Brown was aggressive without being overbearing, showcasing what are honestly versatile talents without having to feel like the ax was coming any second. Last night, he forced things, including a particularly miserable stretch when he saw Derek Fisher coming in to allow Jason Kidd and Jason Terry to work him over relieve him. It's almost like the pressure Kobe puts on him forces him into hyper-aggressiveness. We saw this during the Lakers' troubled streak pre-Kobe's rest as well.

Jordan Farmar is an even more explicit example. Farmar seems to shine whenever Kobe's taken out of the equation. With him in, he has an air of just being concerned with what's going to happen. Farmar has the ability to get to the bucket and create, as he did early in the second quarter during a Lakers run. But then he seemed to disappear again, fading back into reticence.

Lamar Odom seems to be the only player who has maintained his composure through Kobe's exit and return. Odom was simply brilliant last night, the only player on the team that genuinely played up to his potential. It seems as if finally after years of not getting it, Odom is learning to play alongside Kobe without the immense pressure forcing him into more boneheaded-ness. The same cannot be said for Pau Gasol, who has worked hard to reclaim the "soft" label he shed last season.

The Lakers are still (arguably, but not by me) the best team in the league. They simply have the most talent, are extremely well coached and have the best player in the game. But their seeming inability to adapt to an injured, cranky, and demanding Bryant has caused the bench to be near apoplectic and for the starters to defer constantly to him. Kobe should take most of the shots. But when he's not en fuego, as he was not last night, there has to be a concerted team effort if the Lakers want to claim that second consecutive title.

It's not Kobe's fault he's Kobe, and it's not the bench's fault they're not. But the Zen Master needs to achieve a little bit of no-mind in LA.

Source: Matt Moore, FanHouse