They're severely lacking in offensive firepower, but have been fortunate enough to win a few home games against bad teams this season.

The Lakers simply don't have enough talent, athleticism, or three-point shooting to compete with the elite teams in the league.

If general manager Mitch Kupchak isn't able to make significant roster upgrades in a hurry, Lakers fans should start bracing themselves for a long season.

And don't count on the Buss family making a big splash in the free agency market this summer, either. The Lakers are already well into the luxury tax and aren't likely to go deeper in the hole, considering the much stiffer penalties that are now in place.

Let's take a look at five potential trade targets that could give the Lakers a boost before it's too late.

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Are they dead-legged or simply dead for the season? Only time will tell.

It is sad to see that aging stars Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher are the only players showing any spark or energy. Pau Gasol looks like he has to be propped up against a wall to keep him awake. And, Metta World Disaster is...a disaster. The bench is woeful, slow and no longer possesses the ability to hit three-pointers.

If the Lakers keep playing like this, Staples will replace "I love L.A." with "The Monster Mash" during timeouts.

Based upon past history, you would think the Lakers bench would shoot more like Annie Oakley than Bart the Sheriff in Blazing Saddles. The Lakers are now the poorest three-point shooting team in the league. They are on a pace to set a new low for three-point shooting percentage for any Lakers team and may even set a new league record for futility before the season is over.

Seven-point quarters? 10-point quarters? Like movie zombies, you can’t tell by their faces whether any of these three-point misses really upset any of them.

Despite being serial three-point flops, the team keeps right on shooting three-pointers like those pesky zombies in old movies that keep right on walking after they’ve been shoot 10 times.

Throughout the dismal first half of the Lakers' game, I kept asking myself, "If I turn the color off, will it look like black-and-white footage of a 1950s NBA game?" I even tried pushing the first setting on my TiVo fast-forward button. But the game still looked in "slow mo."

At one point, the teams exchanged misses for about two minutes. You could almost hear the players grumbling, "See, I can miss too!"

66 games in 100 days sounds like a rock-band tour, not an NBA season. This NBA season may end up setting records for futility before it’s over. And from what I have seen, the Lakers are the leaders of the pack. It is hard for the Lakers to decide whether they are going to lead the league in missed three-pointers or lead the league in turnovers this season.

Do you think that movie zombies think about missed three-point attempts?

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"Not bad for seventh-best player in the league"

Why so serious? Why the hate? Why the doubt. Continually fans and critics alike write off Kobe Bryant, but it's clear he still has the beans to make it to the final shuffle. Despite LeBron, the city of Dallas, the whole critical landscape and a recent loss standing in his way, Kobe still fast breaks forward.

Too old? He's 33 for basketball God's sake. That may be old in dog years, but the Dobermans still have plenty of seasons to come before he starts emulating 'Floor Jordan'. ESPN's seventh best player in the league? Pleeeease!

"Just making adjustments, you've got to figure out a way to get it done"

In the face of the twilight years of his career, Kobe remains in the zone, where lesser players would fold. He remains doubled and tripled, when other former stars are singled out and ignored in this game. A few years back, the fabulous, inventive 'Freedarko' book The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Game said that if Shaquille O'Neal was Superman with a "S" on his chest, then that made Kobe Bryant "The Dark Knight."

We've known for years that he was far from a Robin-esque sidekick, but the book described the Lakers Batman as being a "stormy mortal" and "vulnerable but all the stronger for it". Kobe may not be as "cute and cuddly" as Chris Rock and everyone else, but his dark, killer instinct to the game helps him make the chess moves that takes down the other NBA pawns.

All the Jokers and the Riddlers of the league better watch out. This "Dark Knight" is about to rise.

"Everybody cries for a change, cries for you know the fact I'm too old, it's just a bad game and a bad wrist."

Like the boy that cried wolf, we don't believe the lies. We've heard it all before. Sure Kobe is getting slower, but that just means he's seeing the game even slower—like Magic, like "The Matrix." He's in control, breaking it down piece by piece like Sherlock Holmes, breaking it down play by play and detecting breaks and smoking the opposition.

Age ain't nothing but a number—legends like Aaliyah and Kobe know this. One bad game is just a box score, a lasting legacy is forever more.

Imagine if Kobe's wrist wasn't hurt and strapped for all those 40-plus games, even the critics had to jokingly admit, he could have gone as cold as Toronto or Drake again and hit 81. That would have made headlines for sure. They know...they know.

Still, 'can he sustain it?' Of course they ask, and of course as short and sweet as ever Bryant responds.

"What do you think."

As the journalist laughs off a struggle for a reply.

"Go ahead say no...go ahead,"

"Nobody cares what I think", the journalist replies.

"Exactly."

Exactly, its all on Kobe, and Kobe knows this. Sure, more critics and opponents are coming his way. Some work for magazines, some are called Durant, but Bryant answers them all, keeps it short, simple, elegant and executing. Bryant's murder game is killing fields. We know the man, but we don't know his methods.

From the play to the compliments paid, Bryant's earning his way back into the top consideration. A mindset that should have never left him. Sure people can touch this basketball God these days, but beware of the wrath of this Titan in each and every clash.

The Black Mamba may let you get close enough, but that's only to trap you, bite you and sink in his teeth and venom. Thinking you have one over a silent warrior and a Dark Knight is poisonous, it's deadly.

"It's a weapon."

Kobe scores big when his team needs him, but he also knows when to deflect to the Lakers last-second king when the clutch calls for it. They say Kobe can't do it on his own and they are right.

That's why the Lake Show reels off guys like Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol and the Dwight Howard-forgetting Andrew Bynum. Still, when they are backed down, Kobe steps up. Some may blame him, but they forget he does this when they need him. People forget the MVP award Kobe won when he became more of a team player. Oh, and those championships too.

His career is classic, his play cinematic. Sure LeBron and Voltron may have a hold over the once ESPN magazine heralded Iron Man of the league, but Kobe and his Avengers look to bring box-office success to Hollywood this year, no matter how many celebrities or detractors show up.

It doesn't matter to bean—Bryant will still flash that Jordanesque smile and play.

Kobe's having fun in the second half of his career, and is really seeing the game for what it is—beautiful. It's about time those who hate really recognized the one that makes this game the thing we love. The one that makes it all look so good.

"That's what makes it fun, you know for me its always about the beauty of the game."

The trilogy isn't complete...yet.

(All quotes from Kobe following a postgame presser after his 48 points against the Phoenix Suns).

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It was rough with teammates like Smush Parker and Kwame Brown listed as starters. But somehow Bryant used that opportunity to make history and seal his legacy.

The number of remarkable Bryant moments since then has been unbelievable, It's difficult not just to sit back and simply say "wow."

Wow.

That's the only way to describe the Bryant who reared his head in the immediate post-Shaq era. We were all truly in the presence of greatness.

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Sure, the Lakers have only lost one game at home and have gotten some solid wins against playoff-worthy opponents, but they have only earned a single victory on the road and have lost some early tests in matchups against the Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat.

If the Lakers are thinking to go deep in the playoffs, there are going to have to be some changes.

Kobe Bryant has been his usual dominant self, averaging 30 points and five assists but has been forced to be on the court for nearly 38 minutes a game with a wrist injury because of the lack of the supporting cast he has in L.A.

With the exception of Lakers big men Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, the rest of the Lakers starting line-up and bench players have looked stagnant through the first part of the season.

Both Bynum and Gasol are averaging 16 points apiece, while the next closest players are small forward Matt Barnes and guard Steve Blake with eight and seven points  per game, respectively.

The recent injury to Blake doesn’t help the Lakers guard play either since starting guard Derek Fisher is forced to stay on the court for longer minutes with rookie Darius Morris as the next player in line to come off the bench.

Fisher has only averaged four points and four assists while Morris has added three points and two assists of his own. Although Morris has shown some athleticism and explosiveness off the ball, he is also averaging two turnovers in his 18 minutes on the court.

For the Lakers bench to look anything close to the “Bench Mob” of last season, veteran forward Metta World Peace is also going to have to find his rhythm in his backup role.

World Peace tweeted earlier this week that “Wow I never knew coming off the bench was tough... Bench players get much more respect from me now.”

He also took the time to explain that once he found his “pulse,” his game was going to improve. Lakers fans are hoping the forward finds his game sooner than later since his minutes backing up Barnes will be huge down the stretch.

This goes for the rest of the team as well since once the supporting cast can put up some higher numbers, there will seemingly be plenty of time to rest the injured Bryant as well as the big bodies in the paint.

If the Lakers can figure out a way to turn their mediocre bench into a force that can go head-to-head with any other bench in the NBA, look for them to be playing come May and June.

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Twice Matt Barnes had his cookies swiped and offensively the LA Lakers are choking with two of the most-known clutch players in the game—Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant.

Fisher has lost most of his edge when it comes to battling the more athletic, better point guards in the league. But, he can still knock down those buzzer-beating, one-hitter quitters as the game comes to a close.

Kobe Bryant. Well, hell, he is still Kobe Bryant. There is nothing a defense can do to completely count him out.

However, against the Miami Heat, without Bryant’s illustrious scoring in the first three quarters, the Lakers offense was bland and practically nonexistent. Both teams were a little blank early on, but while Miami caught fire and established a quick lead, the Lakers were unresponsive.

This is more than likely due to the new head coach’s offensive scheme and plain way of running things. But, what can we truly expect from the Lakers with the roster they have assembled thus far? There is no explosiveness and no excitement that is not capped off with mentions of Kobe and his firepower from every angle on the floor.

Therefore providing the sad and elementary reasoning that without Kobe’s 40-point clinics, the Lakers are a shell of the dynasty they used to be.

But, isn’t this what Lakers fans wanted? After years of boosting Kobe’s resume by naming the fact that he has always been the primary option for the Lakers, Jerry Buss’ son, Jim Buss, has finally made it so.

Bryant is not only the primary option anymore, but he is sometimes their sole mean of a victorious end. Bryant’s averages may boast an MVP entrance for the season, but watching the Lakers as a unit is becoming more boring than watching paint dry.

He is going to get his regardless, but when will players like Barnes start going up for the dunk finish around the rim when LeBron James is chasing him down instead of the weak layup? When will ex-Michigan player Darius Morris stop making those clumsy mistakes? When will Josh McRoberts’ contributions extend past flagrantly fouling a sometimes-spotty free-throw shooter?

Unfortunately, Kobe can only contend with what he has in front of him, and right now that is not much. Despite Andrew Bynum’s size and effectiveness in the low post, he and Bryant are the only sure things in a purple-and-gold jersey right now. They are not enough.

Pau Gasol? His mind has not been right dating back to shortly before last year’s playoffs and somehow, his lack of vision and focus has trailed into this season—not assisting in an already-shaky situation.

Tempers are going to flare as they always do within a unit that just cannot figure out their identity that had already before been produced and succeeded. The triangle offense did not always work, but it provided championships.

The Lakers are dawning upon an era in which their path has not already been cleared. Their history has not predetermined their status in the league and from what fans can see, a huge problem in how the Lakers have been playing is that they are barely adjusting to the game plan of the new coach in charge, Mike Brown.

But, what can they do?

After voicing his stance on the new direction of the Lakers with the proposed trade of Lamar Odom and Gasol (who should have probably demanded a trade out of Lakerville as well), the reigning Buss will not go back on his decision as if he had done something wrong in the first place. A move as big as deciding the replacement for Phil Jackson after so many years of excellence should not have been taken so lightly.

Bringing in Brown, a coach that is so fundamentally different than Jackson, spoke volumes about the storming in of a new era within the franchise. And even though the world knew that the decision would either go incredibly wrong or incredibly right, no one within the organization seems ready to give up on the pipe dream that this is the path that should have been taken.

Look at how the team is treating the removal of—or lack thereof—big man on the rise, Andrew Bynum. His potential has yet to be reached, although he is still a very good player. The Lakers refuse to admit that this just may not be the space for him to be in or at least they do not have the roster available to him now for him to properly contribute to the team’s success.

Expect them to fester in their troubles until it becomes too unbearable to stand because just as their leader, Kobe, they refuse to admit when the time is up for something that was supposed to work.

Bryant was supposed to shut LeBron James down, yet they had Barnes guarding him on more than one occasion. The Lakers were supposed to get Chris Paul in a trade that included Lamar Odom, yet it fell through and the organization had to go through by tossing Odom over to the Dallas Mavericks. Derek Fisher is supposed to be one of the best point guards in the league, and even with declining performance remains in the Lakers’ starting lineup.

Their loyalty is what has kept Kobe around, but it is also what will force him into retirement without another ring. As embarrassing as the journey may get, don’t expect them to admit they were wrong.

That is the Kobe system.

Follow Joye Pruitt on Twitter @joyethewar

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They're going under a significant change in offensive style with new coach Mike Brown and attempting to compensate for the loss of reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom. Possibly the largest obstacle that they've had to face, however, has been Kobe Bryant and the torn ligaments in his wrist.

Suffering the injury in a meaningless preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Bryant was reported to have torn several ligaments in the wrist that's connected to his shooting hand.

Already playing with a few bum fingers on that hand, the wrist injury forces Bryant to continue learning how to shoot more with his left hand.

When Bryant went down with the injury and Lamar Odom left, nearly everyone began to discount the Lakers. Many had them losing out in the Pacific Division to the Los Angeles Clippers, finishing as a low seed in the Western Conference and ultimately called Kobe Bryant finished.

I've learned a lot through the years about the NBA. Doubting Kobe Bryant was one of them because he always seemed to unleash this pent-up rage and fury at the worst possible time for your team. You can talk down his performance in those situations by speaking of his low shooting percentage, but I can just about guarantee that every single person associated with the NBA will say that Kobe is the one person they want taking the last shot.

There's no debating that. If you want to win a game late, you give the ball to Bryant.

He's performed miracles in the past and has won five championships and two Finals MVPs because of how volatile and lethal he is when the game is on the line. He's a born leader and champion; it shows in his commitment to winning and attempting to be the best.

Just take a look at what he's done this year: At 33 years old and with a bad wrist on his shooting arm, Bryant is leading the league in scoring at 30 points per game and just recently scored 40 or more points in four consecutive games.

There are only so many players in the history of the game that could have performed such a feat at that age, but of course some will argue that it's just ball-hogging or any other excuse.

As amazing as it is to see Bryant not playing like his age, you have to question the motives of the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff. We understand that the team lost Lamar Odom and that other players will have to step up in his place, but Kobe shouldn't be performing any of these feats. As much as we like to label Kobe as an entity, he is human just like the rest of us.

After playing 34 minutes per game last season—his lowest since the 1997-98 season when he still came off the bench—Bryant is currently playing 38 minutes per night and just recently played 41 against the Miami Heat.

That Heat game in general was questionable because the Lakers were down by double-digits for the majority of the second half, so why strain Kobe anymore?

Not to mention, he's also taking 25 shots per game. That's the most attempts he's averaged since the 2005-06 season when he was posting 35 per night. Problem is that Kobe Bryant isn't 27 and in his prime anymore.

Playing in 40,752 regular-season minutes and 8,165 postseason minutes after 15 years worth of an NBA career can take a toll on your body.

You might not be able to tell by his demeanor, but Bryant is hurting and is in a lot of pain. Any sane person would be out of commission for months after getting wrist surgery.

Kobe doesn't happen to be sane, however, and would instead take a shot before every game to ease the swelling and pain.

Kobe Bryant is an unbelievable asset to have on the court. He'll win you games by himself if he has to, as documented by the 81 points he scored in a comeback victory over Toronto. He's willing to do whatever it takes to win because he's just the type of player that isn't ready to settle for less. If he was someone who was willing to give it a rest once in awhile, he wouldn't have five championships and a first-ballot Hall of Fame nomination in the near future.

At this stage of his career, Bryant needs to give it a rest. He's performing like any shooting guard in their prime would, but he doesn't have the body, endurance or stamina to do this for an entire regular season and a lengthy postseason.

I know that there are many people out there who will doubt me when I say that, but Kobe Bryant is human and should not be playing nearly 40 minutes per night at his age, especially with those nagging ailments.

The Lakers have two other players who are capable of scoring; let them handle the scoring load for a little.

Pau Gasol can score 20 points on any given night and with Andrew Bynum finally becoming the player that the Lakers envisioned him to be, there should be less of a demand for Kobe if anything. Los Angeles wants to win games, but they should save that mentality for the postseason, where Kobe is at his best.

Seriously, would you want Kobe Bryant playing 40 minutes in the 16th game of the NBA season or playing 40 minutes in the final games of the Conference or NBA Finals? If he continues to play that much in the regular season, he's not going to have the same type of energy and endurance that he usually plays with deep into the postseason.

The Lakers need to give it a rest in the regular season. Outside of the Clippers, they're in a poor division that features three teams that will probably all finish below the .500 mark. Unlike the Eastern Conference where there are two teams that reign supreme, the Western Conference is wide open.

You can easily vouch for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, L.A. Lakers, L.A. Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers as possible contenders for the title game.

If Kobe plays 30 minutes per game, you won't get the greatest regular-season record, but you'll have a two-time Finals MVP and five-time champion ready for the postseason, if that provides any sort of compensation.

If you wanted to watch a team win a whole bunch of regular-season games and then do nothing in the postseason, watch the Dallas Mavericks for the past decade.

For now, the Lakers need to give Bryant a rest on the minutes and allow Bynum and Gasol to get more looks down low. They're both capable of putting up 20 points per night and they both have tremendous advantages as two big men who can consistently score. There are only so few teams in this league that can match up with two lengthy frontcourt players in Bynum and Gasol.

Quality post players are a rare commodity to have and the Lakers happen to have two of them. Allow them to run the show for now and give Bryant some time to regroup.

When the postseason comes around and he's healthy after only playing in 30 minutes per night, you'll see the benefits of a well-rested Kobe.

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Unfortunately, after having their deal with New Orleans shut down by David Stern for "basketball reasons," new head coach Mike Brown and his fellow Lakers watched as Paul was sent to the Clippers. This not only created a new heated rivalry for the first time in decades in LA, but also caused the departure of one of the Lakers current stars.

Yes, we all know Lamar Odom's reasons for wanting out of LA were a bit shallow, but never the less he's gone for practically nothing and now wearing a Dallas Mavericks uniform.

The Lakers then resumed their pursuit of Howard before Orlando's general manager, Otis Smith, shut down all potential offers, saying they were going to wait and see what happens.

So here the Lakers are, sitting on an $8.9 million trade exception and no true bench production. It doesn't help the fact that the entire roster is trying to learn a new system on both sides of the floor and superstar Kobe Bryant is battling a significant injury to his shooting hand.

But the Lakers sit at 10-6 after surviving a tough stretch with four 40-point games from Bryant. Now on the back end of back-to-back games against Miami and Orlando, questions have really begun to circulate about what the Lakers need to return to power.

Their defense is championship worthy and Brown will continue to work tirelessly to improve it. But offensively, the Lakers look completely lost. Outside of Bryant, they have no other creative mind and their three-point shooting has been absolutely dreadful as they sit dead last in the league in shooting behind the arc.

Losing backup point guard Steve Blake doesn't help the situation as he was finally coming to his own with the second unit and really getting into a rhythm with his shot.

But there are a plethora of options open for the Lakers, including pursing Howard. But is Howard really the only solution? Can bringing in the three-time Defensive Player of the Year really push the Lakers back to perennial title contenders?

No. The Lakers already have a proven All-Star in Pau Gasol and center Andrew Bynum has really exploded onto the scene thus far this season.

What the Lakers really need is another creative mind to play with the second unit. Let's face it, Metta World Peace isn't going to create many open looks for his teammates.

Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy, though solid backups won't create for others either and Blake is basically a younger version of Derek Fisher on this team.

But barring from some miraculous trade that completely rebuilds the roster, what can the Lakers do?

Well, though many think he has nothing left in the tank, Gilbert Arenas is sitting at home awaiting a phone call.

Arenas obviously isn't his old self any more after his short stint in Orlando. But, he is still a quality player and when motivated can produce and create for his teammates.

The talent level is there, but the risk is personality. Would Arenas actually accept a role off the bench in LA? Sure he'd be the leader of the second unit alongside World Peace and Blake, but would he actually be willing to be the creative mind that the Lakers so desperately need?

He's a perfect candidate however, because at this moment he's just dying to get back on the court and at 28 still has a few good years left on his surgically repaired legs.

Also, bringing in Arenas still leaves open the possibility of creating a trade for Howard which could really turn the tide in a truly competitive Western Conference.

Arenas is waiting, will the Lakers take the risk?

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According to Robert Littal of Black Sports Online, the Lakers have interest in Pierce, although he doesn't offer any possible trade scenarios. That is likely because there isn't much that would work from a salary cap perspective while still offering fair compensation.

Pierce makes over $15 million this season, so the Lakers would have to offer up a player (or multiple players) whose salaries come close to matching that. Either forward Pau Gasol or center Andrew Bynum straight-up would work, but I highly doubt Los Angeles would want to part with either.

I realize that Gasol was part of the vetoed trade that would have brought point guard Chris Paul to the Lakers prior to the season, but that was a different circumstance. Pierce is much older than Paul and probably wouldn't be considered an elite player at this stage in his career.

Aside from those two players, there likely isn't anything the Celtics would want from the Lakers.

Los Angeles could try to package small forward Metta World Peace and a couple other players, but I doubt that any team would touch the train wreck formerly known as Ron Artest right now.

When it comes down to it, the only possible trade scenario would be a player-for-player swap with Pierce going to Los Angeles and Gasol going to Boston. There is no doubt that such a trade would fill major holes on both teams.

The Celtics have nothing at center since trading Kendrick Perkins last season, so Gasol could fill that void. He isn't the greatest defensive player, and he tends to play soft at times, but Boston is getting virtually no production from that position right now.

Los Angeles could really use a perimeter scorer to take some of the burden off Kobe Bryant. Pierce would certainly do that, and it would allow Bryant to work as a distributor a little more often rather than the only source of offense.

At the same time, though, losing Pierce would leave the Celtics with only Ray Allen in terms of shooters, while the Lakers would have a big void on the interior if Gasol left. As with any trade, there are pros and cons for both teams, but I simply don't anticipate it happening.

The Lakers would be solving one problem in making such a trade, but they would also be creating another.

Perhaps it's time for Los Angeles to make a drastic move, but I think pursuing Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard is a better bet at this point.

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The Los Angeles Lakers legend has finally put his face to Nike's much-hyped Kobe System, which has already been hawked in ads by the likes of Kanye West, Sir Richard Branson, Hope Solo, Serena Williams, Tony Robbins and...errr...Aziz Ansari.

What do most of these folks have to do with the Kobe System? Well, aside from Ansari (sorry, buddy), they're all uber-successful, world-famous and wealthy beyond belief.

Will adhering to the Kobe System make you any (or all) of those things? Probably not, though buying a pair of Kobe's new kicks will certainly help to boost the Black Mamba's bottom line.

Not that he needs any help doing so, despite his expensive pending divorce from his soon-to-be-ex-wife Vanessa.

Now, for those of you who might be confused, the Kobe System is NOT the same thing as Kobe's System.

That is, unless Nike's version comes with trips to Germany for a round of orthokine and daily shots to numb excruciating pain in your shooting wrist.

Rumor has it, those add-ons will come with the deluxe version.

You know, the one that only folks like Kanye and Sir Richard Branson can afford.

Follow @J0shMart1n

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