Can Chris Paul or Deron Williams provide immediate relief to Los Angeles Lakers? NBA Feature
An abysmal end to the 2010-2011 season opened the doors for a number of grave concerns for the Western Conference elite Los Angeles Lakers, who were dethroned by the NBA champions Dallas Mavericks in the semi-finals.
Lakers’ coaching position received a major setback with the retirement of the Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, who spearheaded the franchise towards four NBA titles in the blast decade. The backbone of the line-up Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol
and Lamar Odom are now reaching towards the twilight of their careers which calls for an immediate backup. On top of that, the biggest concern of all is the dramatic failure in the Western Conference semi-finals, despite of having all the pieces intact.
Los Angeles Lakers were swept out comprehensively by Dallas Mavericks, a thorn that will irritate the franchise until the team reclaim their spot. Lakers can only get back to their previous strength by taking into consideration
the major weakness from the last season which hampered the team to stand up in the play-offs.
Right from the beginning of the 2010-2011 season, Lakers failed to mark an impression form the point guard position which seriously impaired the franchise in the play-offs. Although the legendary shooting guard Kobe Bryant did
his part and kept the momentum going throughout however the backup support from the team took away all of his efforts.
The most reliable player on the point guard position Derek Fisher, who has been doing wonders for the team since a long time, has lost the agility and strength on the court at the age of 37 which became evident in the last season.
Fisher’s performance has diminished substantially over the past two years however; the last season was a complete failure for Derek as he posted the worst performance in a decade.
The addition of the veteran point guard Steve Blake, who was acquired to support the aging superstar Fisher, did not live up to the expectations as well, as Lakers had no effectiveness to carry the momentum from behind.
Los Angeles Lakers need to address the issue of the point guard position before the beginning of the next season which can be best done through free agency.
Looking at the available options, New Orleans Hornets’ Chris Paul or former Utah Jazz’s superstar Deron Williams are the best point guards who can provide an immediate relief to t Los Angeles Lakers.
Four-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul is incredibly athletic on the court and is also considered as one of the top double-double threats in the league. With a career average of 18.7 points and 9.9 assist per game, the 26-year-old Paul
will bring a much needed boost up in the Lakers’ line-up. Having Chris on the roster will not only alleviate a lot of pressure from Lakers frontrunner Kobe Bryant, it will also enable the superstar to try things differently.
On the other hand, New Jersey Nets dynamic point guard Deron Williams will inculcate the same strength in Los Angeles Lakers as Chris. Williams is also extremely athletic and has the influence to power the team from both the ends
of the court.
Having Deron Williams or Chris Paul in the team, Lakers point guard position will become reliable once again.
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