After acquiring two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, there were a lot of questions about how different the offense will be next season with a true point guard in the backcourt running the show.
On Thursday, July 19, Lakers Coach Mike Brown was asked how he’d use Nash in the offense via Mike Trudell of Lakers.com via Twitter:
Brown on the O with @SteveNash: “We’re going to put the ball in his hands … in the same breath, our main principles won’t change much.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) July 20, 2012
Even though Brown somewhat downplays changes to the Lakers’ offense with Nash as the floor general, there’s no question that the offense will function much different in comparison to last season with the superstar at the point guard position.
Throughout his entire career in the NBA, Nash has been a player that is constantly on the move and always keeping the opposing defense on its heels. As a master of the pick-and-roll, Nash always gets his teammates involved and as a result his team consistently lights up the scoreboard on a nightly basis.
One of the main reasons Nash is a good fit with the Lakers is the fact that he will keep the offense moving. Last season, one of the biggest problems for the Lakers was a stagnant offense. As a result of the offensive struggles, Kobe Bryant had to take over the majority of the time in order to keep the Lakers in the game.
With the addition of Nash, Kobe will be able to get more open shots and won’t have the entire team leaning on his to score 30 to 40 points a night in order to keep up with an opponent. Nash’s presence will also help Pau Gasol get back to form with many pick-and-roll situations in which the Spaniard will thrive. All-Star center Andrew Bynum or Dwight Howard will also benefit from Nash’s presence with plenty of easy buckets close to the basket.
It remains to be seen whether or not Nash is the missing piece to the championship puzzle in Los Angeles, but he definitely brings a new style of team basketball to the Lakers that is desperately needed in order to become a legitimate NBA title contender once again in the Western Conference. The Lakers may continue to struggle against younger teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, but should be much improved regardless.
