Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said fans unhappy with the team's 13-15 start should find another team to cheer for. Despite an injury-depleted roster, Pau Gasol and Nick Young are confident the team will get hot when it matters most.
Injuries haven't made things easy for the Lakers. With Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Jordan Farmar and Steve Blake all sidelined with various injuries, D'Antoni insisted he's not discouraged.
"Why would I be discouraged?" D'Antoni said, via ESPN. "We're fighting with a bunch of good guys that played well before, and they'll play [well] again. If [the fans] are discouraged, then, you know, find another team to root for. I'm all right. We're not going to give up. Are you kidding me? Discouraged? That's not even fair to these guys."
The Lakers are only three games out from the 8th playoff seed in the Western Conference. If the Lakers can keep in contention for another month or two, they'll receive reinforcements: Farmar is expected back soon, and both Bryant and Blake are expected to return in about six weeks.
"I'm not discouraged, but we got to step it up," Gasol said. "... Energy and effort. That's what can make up for the absences and injuries here. Just be all on the same page and get every loose ball, box out, just fight the opponent."
Young was also confident about the team's ability to keep competitive.
"We're still confident in each other," Young said. "We're going to find our streak again and get hot, and teams are going to fall down when we're playing with energy. So, hopefully it's going to happen on Christmas. Santa is going to give us a good present."
Los Angeles hosts the Miami Heat on Christmas day.
