Most importantly, the main skill of a point guard is their ability to provide assists to the entire team, and Paul would provide that necessary contribution, as he has averaged 9.9 assists for his career. Can you imagine Paul running down the floor in a Lakers uniform and having the option of dishing it down low to either Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol? The Lakers need to utilize the strength they have down in the paint with their pair of seven-footers, and the best way to embrace this talent is to acquire a player with a skill set which parallels that of Paul, who can easily feed the big men inside.
Even though Paul is known more for his quick moves and fluid passes, he is also a scoring threat, as he has averaged 18.7 points per game over his six-year career. This clearly makes him a double-double machine in nearly every game he plays in. On top of Paul’s shooting percentage, he has been consistent on the charity stripe by knocking down 85.3 percent of his attempts from the line. Fisher has only averaged 8.8 points per game for his career, so this addition would clearly improve the Lakers scoring at the point guard position.
An area that the Lakers need to improve in is their three-point shooting. There is potential with the current roster, as Lamar Odom demonstrated with his 38.2% shooting from behind the arc this past season. The Lakers need to make acquisitions for the bench that would improve this area, but the addition of Paul would also provide an additional threat in the Lakers’ starting lineup. Paul has a career average of 35.9% for 3-point shots, and this would certainly be a boost for the Lakers’ struggles from downtown.
The thought of Chris Paul in a Lakers uniform is a possibility this off-season, and this should be a priority for the Lakers front office. More than anything, the Lakers should be investing in the future of the franchise and the addition of Chris Paul could be the next superstar on their roster. Kobe Bryant is getting older everyday, and even though he will work harder than any other player in the NBA to maintain his form, he will need to eventually hand off the franchise to another player. That player could very well be Chris Paul.
Statistics provided by NBA.com
