Guards: Steve Blake, Andrew Goudelock, Darius Morris
Steve Blake I don’t pull punches, and Steve Blake went through a few awful patches (say, the entire month of February) over the course of this season. There were times where my Twitter Timeline looked an endless stream of Blake-disdain. Thankfully, for all of our sakes, Blake is a resilient guy and not as easily discouraged as many of us might be. Not only has he played better defense (of late), but he’s hit some timely shots and provided several key hustle plays. No excuses for the early struggles, but you’d much prefer to have your players peaking or streaking when heading into the playoffs. Blake’s Grade: C
Andrew Goudelock & Darius Morris Grading these two young guards wouldn’t be fair, as ‘DNP’ was posted next to their names for a majority of the season. Darius Morris got a little bit of run in January, but didn’t leave the bench much after the Lakers picked up Sessions. Morris showed flash and a bit of athleticism, but was as erratic as you might expect a rookie guard with limited playing time, and no training camp might be. Andrew Goudelock was able to shoot his way onto the court for a couple weeks. His lack of ball-handling and court awareness can certainly be improved upon. Both guards seem to have potential for growth/development. I’m not certain where Morris fits into their future plans, but Goudelock looks as though he could be a highly viable option as a combo-guard if he can continue to develop his game. Christian Eyenga, we hope to see more of you next season!
