It is hard to believe that a team boasting a starting five of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard just two seasons ago, gave heavy minutes to the likes of Kent Bazemore, Xavier Henry and Robert Sacre this year.
With Gasol’s future in limbo and major money tied up in Bryant for the next two seasons, the Lakers’ front office will have to pull off some serious magic if it hopes to turn the purple and gold into an NBA juggernaut.
Given the players set to become free agents and the recent resignation of coach Mike D’Antoni, the complexion of next year’s roster should look much different than this year’s.
Holding onto a lottery pick, Los Angeles will have its choice in one of the deepest drafts in league history.
What might Mitch Kupchak and Co. be looking for this June? What type of player will the Lakers be targeting?
Let’s take a look at some of the Los Angeles Lakers’ biggest draft needs.
Backcourt Playmaker
With injuries decimating their lineup, the Lakers were forced to play many of their wings out of position as a nominal point guard.
With Xavier Henry to Nick Young, Los Angeles tried to overcompensate for injury losses to guys like Nash and Steve Blake. The Lakers eventually traded for backup Golden State Warriors point guard Bazemore and mined the D-League to acquire Kendall Marshall.
In today’s NBA, almost every elite team outside of the Miami Heat has a superstar point guard.
The San Antonio Spurs have Tony Parker, the Oklahoma City Thunder has Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Clippers have Chris Paul.
Point guard is quickly becoming the deepest p...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
