New Orleans won again. So what, right?

Although the Hornets have played a tough four games – with the series split two games apiece – you might be inclined to instinctively think that the reigning NBA champs are in full control of their destiny.

But you’d be very wrong.

Kobe Bryant is playing on not one, but two sprained ankles after getting beat by Willie Green off the dribble last night. Technically, Derek Fisher may not have sprained ankles, but he looks like he has been while attempting to slow down Chris Paul. And quite frankly, so do the rest of the Lakers. To top it all off, Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom continues to call out the team’s apparent lack of urgency.  Of course, that comes after he stuffed the stat sheet with 6 points (on 1-7 shooting), 4 rebounds and no assists.

So, to recap all of that, Los Angeles has unhealthy, unskilled and unmotivated players trying to avoid a first-round upset against a team with inferior collective talent.

With that being said, raise your hand if you think that the Hornets are going to win this series.

"Hey Phil, please keep single-covering me with Derek Fisher..."

As you sit there with your hand still firmly gripping your mouse or on your touch pad, the fact is that there is a sense of uneasiness in Lakerland. To say that L.A. is being bullied would be an understatement. But to understand that the bully is a 6-foot tall point guard (albeit one of the best in the Association) is certainly a head-scratcher. Everyone – including the Lakers – realized that Paul has the ability to keep the Hornets in contention, but I don’t think either team even believed that he could scare them. Right now, Los Angeles is scared and confused. They know that the ball remains in their court. They know that they have undeniable advantages in four of the five starting positions on the court. But the fact is that the series is tied because of the exploits of Paul, who is manning the only position on the court where New Orleans has a clear advantage.

In the midst of a series that was supposed to be a breeze, Phil Jackson has now been forced to coach.

The former defensive wizard and coaching icon, who makes use of non-traditional philosophies to get the best out of his teams, took a different approach after last night’s loss:

“We got punked out there tonight…”

Nothing to think about. Nothing left to decipher.

Sometimes there’s nothing like some good, old fashioned name-calling to get a team focused.

But with his championship pedigree on the line, we can rest assured that P.J. will come with a few wrinkles to his game plan.  Don’t be surprised to see one of – if not all of – the following come Game 5:

Loose cannons like Matt Barnes are valuable commodities in the postseason.

- Less Derek Fisher.  We all know why.  But we’ll say it one last time – Paul is going to get arrested for assault and battery when x-rays reveal the damage to Fisher’s ankles after the series.  Fisher can resurface during those key offensive possessions during which floor spacing is critical, but otherwise…

- Don’t switch on pick and rolls.  The Hornets live and die by CP3′s ability to create opportunities for his lesser skilled teammates.  Switching on pick and rolls provides Paul with an even greater mismatch than the one he already has – imagine that – on Fisher.  The Lakers need to fight through and recognize the offensive set, or trap and rotate.  Basically, they need to play real defense and not just rely on their size around the basket.

- Put Matt Barnes on Paul.  Barnes may not be the ideal player to use on Paul, but the defensive specialist is only getting 12 minutes of burn per game in the series.  In a postseason setting, he is the type of player that can make a difference.  He’s a throw-away player – meaning you don’t need anything from him offensively, and you can use him as a bruiser.  Let Barnes put his body on Paul, and pair his length with his quickness to give the All-Star a different look.  He’s got six fouls.  Let him use them.

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