The Los Angeles Lakers will now be the team to watch in the NBA as they picked up the piece of the puzzle that they’ve been missing the past few years, a true point guard, when they acquired Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns for two first round draft picks and two second round draft picks. The Lakers tried using Ramon Sessions last year but in the Playoffs he disappeared and he never seemed like a true point guard. In Steve Nash the Lakers have brought in a proven winner who can lead a team on the court, can play big minutes, is an amazing passer, but also is 38 years old. Was four draft picks too much to give up for a player who will soon be 40? Only time will tell how much Steve Nash has left in the gas tank but for next year this makes the Lakers the team to watch. With two skilled 7 footers, Kobe Bryant, and now a MVP point guard who can compete with that? If the Lakers make it to the finals against a team like Miami, Miami has shown they have no good big men and are weak inside. Nash verse a Mario Chalmers, that will be a lesson for the former Jayhawk.
The person who should be the most excited is Kobe Bryant who has been feeling the pain of not having a true complete point guard. With the point guard duties in the hands of someone Kobe can trust it allows him to concentrate solely on scoring and not worrying about trying to be the set up guy and distributor. It allows Bynum and Gasol to know that if they run the fast break they will be getting picture perfect lob passes to them. The only part of the Lakers that I do not like is smal forward. I don’t think Ron Artest fits in. He is old, his three point shot is off and he loves to shoot them, he is much slower now, and he is not the defender he used to be. If the Lakers can get a small forward who guards great, rebounds the ball, and is physical I think they will win the Championship next year. They should keep Gasol, don’t trade him, and either he or Bynum need to check the ego at the door and realize one of them is the number 2 option in the post.
