This past week is proof why there shouldn't be any real reason to panic about these Lakers.  Just like that, they were able to put together a string of games that murdered any doubt if the Lakers still had that Championship edge.  They still have the ability to offensively pick apart any defense with crisp ball movement, a smothering defense, huge advantages on the frontline, and Kobe Bryant.  

Kobe Bryant has won our Player of the Week award in four consecutive weeks, and five overall.  He could be this week's winner too, but we have a good problem on our hands- there are other candidates again.  Last week, I begged for another Laker to step up to the plate and match Kobe's level of play.  They did and look at the results.  Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and Shannon Brown also all played well as the Lakers went 3-0 to start their Grammys road trip and finally gave us a reason to exhale.  They still got it.  So, I'm going to leave it up to you guys.  

Whether or not that winner is Kobe, who knows? Here's something I do know; right now, we should be calling him MVP.  

UPDATE: Kobe wins.  Like I expected anyone else ?  It's really not fair to put Kobe in a vote.  Of course he was going to win.  Which is why I decided curve the voting scale.  If it stayed close between him and Pau, I would have given the win to Pau (If I left the 12/18/10 POTW to a curved vote, LO would have won).  Except Kobe won in a landslide .  It's his fifth win in a row.  Let's get this MVP campaign going, folks.