Starting off the season with Derek Fisher at point guard, the veteran struggled to the tune of 5.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. It was the fifth-straight season Fisher had seen a decline in his scoring, not surprising for a 37-year-old.
Knowing they needed help desperately at point guard, the Lakers traded their 2012 first-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ramon Sessions. The 26-year-old brought some fresh legs to the point guard position, but fizzled in the playoffs averaging just 9.7 points and 3.6 assists on 37.7 percent shooting from the field.
It was clear the Lakers were still searching for an answer at point guard. With an elite core of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, L.A. didn't need another project point guard, they needed a winner.
Enter two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, who joined the Lakers on a sign-and-trade deal from the Phoenix Suns for a collection of draft picks.
What was once an anemic offense suddenly looks to be an unstoppable force with the addition of Nash and the trade for Dwight Howard.
Nash helps the Lakers offense in a number of ways, starting with his passing.
Last season with the Suns, Nash averaged 10.7 assists per game and has been in double digits in the category seven times the past eight seasons.
The Lakers best assist man was Sessions, with only 5.5 in the regular season. In the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder, it was actually Bryant who led the team with a measly 4.3 a game. Frighteningly enough, Pau Gasol was actually second with 3.7.
Nash's playmaking abilities will not only open up easier buckets for teammates, but will help take pressure off Bryant and Gasol and allow them to play their game without having to worry a...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
