Lakers aren’t letting their historic start shift their focus

Through 24 games this season, the Los Angeles Lakers have equaled their win total from the 2014-15 season. That’s not just a testament to how bad the Byron Scott-led Lakers were; it’s also a good indicator of how good this team has been to start the season.

The last time the Lakers went 21-3 to start the season was the 2008-09 season — the year they beat the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals. Additionally, the 11-game road win streak they’re on is their longest streak of that kind since the 1972-73 season.

They’re not just hot — they’re on fire, but everyone in the locker room has managed to keep a cool head so far.

Before the Lakers’ 142-125 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, Frank Vogel — who’s probably among the frontrunners for Coach of the Year — said he and the team aren’t getting too high on their tremendous start.

“I’m not really allowing myself to go there,” Vogel said when asked if he thinks this Lakers team could be historic. “To me I wake up every day 0-0. I’m asking my team to do the same, and to look only at the day in front of us.

“The media can talk about those things, but internally we’re really just focused on getting better each day.”

Their next opportunity to get better will come this week, when they head to Florida to take on the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. And as easy as it might be for the Lakers to look ahead to Friday’s rematch with the No. 3 seed Heat, or if they can make history, their leader, LeBron James, has kept the team focused on the next task at hand.

“I’m the last person you should ask a question like that,” James said. “I live too much in the moment. All I care about is what we did tonight and how we can get better tomorrow. It’s gonna be a good road trip for us, and it starts in Orlando.”

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