The Los Angeles Lakers could not acquire Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets, and instead the Clippers found a way to land the All-Star point guard. So now with Paul already traded, Lamar Odom in Dallas and Dwight Howard still in Orlando, the Lakers are slowly beginning to lose their presence in the league.
Although Odom is no longer with the team, the Lakers still have two seven-footers in their starting lineup. At this point, the Lakers’ biggest weakness comes at the point guard position. Derek Fisher is a consummate professional, but the Lakers need a more athletic player in this new offensive system.
This free agency class does not have a lot of stars, and most of the marquee players have already inked their new deals. There were some potent guards without a contract, but the Lakers did not push enough buttons to acquire them.
Rodney Stuckey is one player the Lakers could go after as he would offer the team youth and explosiveness at the point guard position. Stuckey was the leader of the Detroit Pistons and his 15.5 points and 5.2 assists average will only increase if he joins the Lakers.
Another name out there is Carlos Arroyo, a guard that has previously played on the revamped Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. Arroyo may not be aa capable on the offensive end as Stuckey, but the Lakers may look into him for support of the bench. At this point, the front-office must look to increase the Lakers’ depth and Arroyo’s 6.6 ppg and 3.1 apg will definitely help.
The Lakers could also try to lure Jason Williams to Los Angeles. Williams has had some off-the-court issues, but his three-point shooting can help the Lakers. Williams has experience playing on veteran teams, but it does not make sense to acquire yet another older guard. His productivity has declined and his 2010-11 season averages of 2.0 ppg and 1.9 apg show just that.
At this point, the best option seems to be Rodney Stuckey. He is a young, physical guard who will no doubt help the Lakers at that position.
