Written by: Ryan Regan
Remember when you used to dread that time around the 2-3 minute mark of the 1st quarter? You’d think, ‘Well, our bench will lose the next 5 minutes by 6 or 8 points and the starters will just win it back’. Your eyes would keep wandering back to the clock, anxiously waiting for Phil Jackson to call Kobe, Pau & Co. back into the game. Sure, Sasha and Shannon would come up big every 3 games or so but the consistency clearly wasn’t there. Well, those days are over.
With several big names switching jerseys in the most memorable NBA offseason ever, the Lakers quietly reloaded with key acquisitions of their own.
The Lakers knew what they were getting with Matt Barnes. Nothing spectacular on the offensive side of the ball (career 7 points and 4 rebounds a game), but just a scrappy defensive annoyance. It’s early in the season but so far he has shown he fits in well with the triangle by putting up nearly 10 points and 7 rebounds a game while doing his thing on the defensive end.
Barnes brings all the same energy Sasha brought off the bench plus actual productivity. And while we all loved The Machine, let’s be honest: Much like when Artest or Fisher lets one fly from long range, we’d always cringe when Sasha came off a screen to take one of his ‘in rhythm’ shots. Barnes’ points are, for the most part, garbage points. And I mean that as a compliment.
Next: Addition by Subtraction…and Addition
With Jordan Farmar leaving for New Jersey, the Lakers needed an effective backup point guard who could operate the triangle offense. Steve Blake might go down as the best under-the-radar pickup this offseason.
A seasoned veteran, Blake can knock down open shots, hit the open man and play aggressive defense. I know it’s cliche, but the guy really is solid. Before the season, I thought Steve Blake would play big for us at some point in the season. Did I see him hitting a game-winning 3 opening night? Not exactly. But with him on the roster, the Lakers will essentially have a starting point guard on the floor at all times.
After factoring in the constant progression of Shannon Brown, Theo Ratliff’s defensive presence and the potential of the Lakers’ best rookie class in recent memory, the Lakers’ bench looks like it will no longer be the team’s weak link. When Andrew Bynum and his near double-double returns to the lineup, Lamar Odom will just be another bonus off that bench that’s already averaging 31 points a game.
Now we can watch all 48 minutes in relative peace.