You know, I really hate it when people drop the "I'm so sorry I haven't been posting, I'm just really busy" line. But, I'm so sorry I haven't been posting, I'm just really busy. I'm not kidding either. Between school full-time, work part-time, and my gig co-hosting theloveofsports.com podcast Monday trough Thursday, I've let you down here at VHP. Things shouldn't be like this, especially with this fairy tale start of a season.

So, I'm going to scrape, but I'm going to try to take care of business here. I really do love doing it. It's my little escape.

Well, as I alluded to, this start has been magical at just about every level. The Lakers are 11-1, with the best record in the league, and let me tell you, the crazed superfans will remind you that, yes, that's a better clip than the Celtics. From my perspective (and you know I try to stay as balanced as possible here), it's really hard to find any negatives right now. Sure, Andrew Bynum could be bringing better numbers, but it's all a part of the process. He's taking baby steps, and what many overlook is the fact that he's got Pau F'ing Gasol down there with him. I said it a few months ago. If Andrew averages 10, 10, and 2 blocks, the Lakers should be alright. His presence alone is making a difference. Andrew's 11.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 2.5BPG is in fact doing the job, and barring the possibility of an injury, it's only going to get better from here  as he gets more comfortable with his recovery.

Perhaps the biggest impact this season, however, in my opinion is the breakout of Trevor Ariza. I've always liked TA for his hustle and drive, but this season he's coming out with scoring, and the big one: ANTICIPATION. Trevor has the basketball IQ of a Tim Duncan with the tenacity of a Dennis Rodman. Seeing Trevor fly all over the court picking off passes, dunking on 7 footer's heads... that's basketball to me. He's a worker, and I love it. Trev defines the high-speed, full court bench for this Lakers team, and with 9.3 PPG and more than two steals a game, he's gaining the recognition that he deserves.

Well, it's a long season, we know that, but you'd be a fool to not say that the Lakers have their s__t together. I'm not making predictions here, becasue nobody cares, but things are looking up in lala land. I was going to post some news, but there's really not much to hit on other than Vujacic vs. Ariza, which is old news. Have a good Thanksgiving, people.