Aaron Brooks
Last season Brooks averaged 10.7 points and 3.9 assists per game. Not exactly breathe taking numbers by any stretch, but he’s by far the most effective point guard qualifying for free agency in 2011. Another hurdle is that he’s a restricted free agent, meaning any numbers a team offers him can be matched by his current team, the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers don’t need a point guard who necessarily puts up 20 points a night. While that’s nice, Kobe Bryant has already made the offensive pecking order clear in his exit interview by stating he came first, Pau Gasol second and then everyone else would just naturally fall after that. If you believe Bryant, and you should, that means what the Lakers need is a good ball-handler, who can create opportunities for others, step back and his a long-range shot if needed and be selfless enough to know the fourth quarter in Lakerland means Kobe Time.
For the most part, Brooks fits that category. While he has tended to over-dribble the ball and it doesn’t appear that his assist ratio is up to par with the other elite point guards in the league, he’s quick, can get into the seams of a defense and let’s face it, is a lot better option than the Lakers have now. Especially considering the guys Brooks used to have to dish the ball to it’s highly unlikely he’ll go around ignoring Gasol, Andrew Bynum or Lamar Odom in the paint.
Next: Good things could come in smaller packages for the Lakers