Bench
With Matt Barnes, Steve Blake, Theo Ratliff, Devin Ebanks, and Derrick Caracter, the Lakers have added more firepower than their title run last year. Matt Barnes will be an essential “Ron Artest #2.” You know he will go out there and harass opponents like he did with Kobe last year. And, oh yeah, his defense isn’t too bad either.
Steve Blake serves as a very potent back-up point guard for Fish because he will fit right into the triangle.
Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter both had solid summer leagues and should contribute to the team. The Lakers also managed to hold on to Shannon Brown, a vital bench players last year. Shannon Brown provides that explosiveness and the ability to bring anyone to their feet.
Sure, the new look of the Miami Heat is somewhat threatening on paper, but the Lakers are just as threatening with their new additions. This is very important to consider before making bets that the Heat will stop the Lakers’ 3-peat.