In tonight's Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks, the reason why fans could feel dissapointed

Winning the first-ever In-Season Tournament didn't immediately make the Los Angeles Lakers the best team in the NBA, they are still working on that to prove it by June by winning the NBA title.

But also, if LA loses tonight against the Dallas Mavericks won't make them the worst team in the league, fans could be disappointed but the group isn't gonna bring the same kind of energy, as nothing huge is at risk tonight.

Still, LA should get the win to climb on the Western Conference seeds. The Lakers spent the Tournament showing their defensive potential, and it's much higher than we expected. But that doesn't mean it's sustainable indefinitely.

Expect a step down for the Lakers in energy level, focus, and intensity now that they are back to regular season play. That's not a bad thing; they can't hold down the turbo button all season if they want playoff health, but just how many steps down do they take?

The Lakers have an opportunity to beat the Mavs tonight

The Mavs themselves are on the second night of a back-to-back after a win last night in Memphis that saw Luka log 44 minutes. On top of that, Kyrie Irving has had an ailing foot and is likely out. Despite an emotional Tournament win and an extra game played, the Lakers should be the fresher team.