Last season, the Lakers experienced a number of injuries to every key player on the team, but where they were hurt the most was at the point guard position. Injuries to Steve Nash and backup Steve Blake left the Lakers with the likes of Chris Duhon and Darius Morris playing far too many minutes.
This season the Lakers added the athletic Jordan Farmar to the fold, giving the Lakers three very solid point guards coming into the season. But once again injuries have destroyed the Lakers depth chart as Steve Nash is struggling to shake the nagging injuries that have haunted him the past two seasons, and now Jordan Farmar will be out for a month with a torn hamstring.
With Steve Blake, left as the only healthy point guard, and no timetable on when Steve Nash will return, it begs the question, should the Lakers bring in another point guard in free agency? We asked our panel of experts and these were their responses:
Ramneet Singh (@RamneetSingh24):
The Los Angeles Lakers have dealt with many injuries this season and the bug still has not left the team. The Lakers have the best bench in the NBA and that second unit has been led by the play of Nick Young and Jordan Farmar. However, with Farmar sidelined the team is open to looking for a replacement.
The NBA is filled with athletic point guards and the best way to replace Farmar is to add someone like him, explosiveness and young. Rodrigue Beaubois is still on the free agent market and if the Lakers want to bring in another point guard, he would fill the void perfectly. Beaubois has shown flashes of greatness in his time with the Dallas Mavericks and he would fit well with the current makeup of the Lakers.
In four seasons in the NBA, Beaubois has averaged 7.1 points, 2.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game. The French guard has also shown that he can score in bunches, posting a 40 point game back in 2010. Although his career with the Lakers would likely be shortened once Farmar returns, he can help the team wins games in the meantime.
Ryan Ward (@Lakers_Examiner):
The loss of Jordan Farmar is definitely going to prove costly. Even though losing Farmar removes the Lakers’ insurance in the backcourt, I’m not sure it is the right time to add another player before seeing what Steve Nash can do once he gets back on the floor.
With Nash practicing once again, the two-time NBA MVP may be able to get back on the floor sooner rather than later. Nash may be nearing the end of his career, but he may still have some life left in those 39-year-old legs.
In the meantime, while awaiting the return of Nash, the team should mix things up with Xavier Henry, Jodie Meeks and Kobe Bryant getting minutes at the point along with Steve Blake.
There is no need to add another player into the mix with capable players on the roster that can fill the void in the short-term. Wait for Nash to return and if he can’t get it done, then pursue a free agent or entertain trades to bring in a point guard.
Suki Thind (@TheRealSuki):
After deliberating a bit, I do think Mitch Kupchak should pick someone up if Steve Nash isn’t able to return soon. Even though Steve Blake will continue to play through injury and has been playing well, he certainly needs some relief.
Although it would be very interesting to see Mike D’Antoni’s offense — which is predicated on point guard play — have to adjust to not having a true point guard at the helm, it’s probably best to pick someone up, even if it’s just for a ten-day contract or two.
Daniel ‘Boobie’ Gibson is the guy who comes to mind, as we all remember him from his days with Cleveland. There are certainly others, but Gibson has been in the spotlight before and has had the responsibility of starting at point guard on an upper-echelon level team this league before. Having fallen out of the NBA, and being just 27, he could fit right in with a team filled with hungry players with something to prove.
Many fans may want Shannon Brown back, but he’s a wing player, and the Lakers have plenty of those.
With Kobe returning soon, he’s certainly capable of playing point guard or being the team’s main facilitator — a role in which he proved capable of for a stretch last season — but I think that’s too much to ask of him right away.
