I think we can all pretty much agree that the headlines this offseason have been dominated by Lebron James, and his decision to take his talents to South Beach. While those moves have been massive and definitely captured the attention of the sports world, Mitch Kupchak and Kobe Bryant have helped the Lakers make moves that pretty much ensure that the purple and gold will be battling opponents into mid-June for a 4th straight season.
Retentions:
- Phil Jackson
- Derek Fisher
The most important offseason moves for the Lakers wasn't who came or went, but rather who stayed. Kobe Bryant is an all time great with 5 rings and not a single one has come without Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher by his side. And while both have returned to the organization, there were points where it seemed that both could very well be gone with Phil Jackson's relatives insisting he was leaning towards retirement, and
Derek Fisher's "compelling" offer from the Miami Heat. In the end, both decided to return making Kobe Bryant and many Lakers fans very happy.
Losses:
- Jordan Farmar
- Adam Morrison
- Josh Powell
- DJ Mbenga
It's always sad to see players leave the team, especially those who were we'll liked by fans and teammates, which pretty much all of these guys fit into the category of. However, the reality of it is, the only one of the departing players who contributed significant minutes was Jordan Farmar, who was rather inconsistent and wasn't satisfied with his role on the team. Adam Morrison never saw much time and was never anything close to the player he was at Gonzaga. Josh Powell was serviceable while on the floor, however it was so sparingly that he was hardly a factor, as was DJ Mbenga who did give some solid minutes defensively, but was a complete offensive liability.
Additions: - Matt Barnes
- Steve Blake
- Theo Ratliff
- Derrick Caracter
- Devin Ebanks
While none of these names are anywhere close to the magnitude of the players that were receiving much of the attention in the 2010 free agency period, they all seem to fill voids and solidify what was already a championship squad. There can even be an argument made that every single player added to this years squad is better than every player that departed from last year's squad. The small forward position which was already as strong as Ron Artest is now deeper with the addition of Matt Barnes who brings toughness, defense, and a pretty good outside shot. At the point guard position, many fans may be skeptical when they see that Steve Blake may not be able to do the types of athletic things that Jordan Farmar did, but what Blake looks to bring is more consistency on the offensive and defensive ends, where Farmar seemed to routinely have mental lapses. Steve Blake is a better fit for the triangle offense, and Mitch Kupchak realized that when he pursued him. Theo Ratliff has aged and I don't expect to see him get too many minutes unless we're hit with foul trouble or injury, but what he brings to the squad along with his veteran experience is a defensive presence that can block shots in the middle while Andrew and Pau are taking a breather. Where the Lakers really lucked up was in the draft. Based on summer league play, many people think the Lakers stole 2 players who should have been first round selections in the 2nd round. While most 2nd round picks are a long shot to make any squad and practically impossible on a contending squad, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter will be suiting up for the purple and gold in the fall. And while it is known that Phil Jackson doesn't give much time to rookies, both players bring loads of talent to the Lakers front court that can be extremely helpful if the Lakers are short on players and hopefully will be consistent contributers a few years down the line.
Question Marks:- Shannon Brown
- Luke Walton
These 2 guys are questions marks, because of right now their status with the team is pretty much in question. As of the time of this post, Shannon Brown has received an offer from the New York Knicks for an unknown amount, however, it's widely known that Shannon has an offer on the table to return to Los Angeles for what is less than what he hoped for when opting out of his contract earlier this summer. I as well as most Lakers fans hope to see Shannon and his high-flying acts return to Los Angeles, but right now its simply uncertain. Luke Walton's status is uncertain for a completely different reason. Luke's back has been giving him consistent trouble and caused him to sit out the majority of last season where he filled other roles such as assistant coach and color commentator. Luke continues to be bothered by his back and its assumed that he'll miss a significant amount of time this upcoming season as well and there has even been speculation that he could retire.
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