Identity thief

DESPITE A POST-ALL-STAR BREAK warm streak that has many fans and talking heads chirping about a playoff run, the Lakers are the biggest underachievers in all of sports. Certainly there are statistical reasons the team's fortunes are likely to improve -- the Lakers were unlucky in the first half, when they outscored opponents yet lost more than they won, and their second-half schedule is considerably easier. Still, LA's fundamental chemistry remains poor. Personality clashes aren't solely responsible for this, and neither are injuries. The numbers scream that the Lakers are less than the sum of their parts because of how Mike D'Antoni builds lineups.

To read more about the real reason behind the Lakers' struggles this season, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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Peter Keating

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Peter Keating is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, where he covers investigative and statistical subjects. He started writing "The Biz," a column looking at sports business from the fan's point of view, in 1999. He also coordinates the Magazine's annual "Ultimate Standings" project, which ranks all pro franchises according to how much they give back to fans. His work on concussions in football has earned awards from the Deadline Club, the New York Press Club and the Center for the Study of Sport in Society.