But while the team’s biggest stars are going to be at the forefront of L.A.’s 2013-14 campaign, there is another, more unheralded player whose role will be just as indispensable: Jordan Farmar.
A six-year veteran, Farmar spent the first four years of his career in purple and gold before heading to the New Jersey Nets and then overseas for the 2012-13 season.
The 26-year-old, who took a significant paycheck hit in order to return to the Lakers over the summer, will become the team’s best option at point guard as the regular season unfolds.
Nash’s health is a problem
Very few players in today’s NBA can equal Steve Nash’s mastery of the game of basketball. But even fewer players are as old and fragile as he is.
Nash is the oldest player in the NBA—he's nearly 40 years—and at this stage of his career is more suited for an off-the-bench role instead of a starting spot. There is no doubt that he can still play for Los Angeles, but what he’ll be able to contribute will be compromised by constant injuries if his minute total is too high.
After Nash stated that he’d be open to a reduced role (specifically sitting out back-to-back games, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN LA), Gasol and Bryant have also voiced concerns about the 17-year veteran’s health during the preseason, as per the Los Angeles Times.
Even more indicative of the necessity for a lesser role, Lakers trainer Gary Vitti told the Los Angeles Daily News that Nash “might be a guy that would be better off reducing his minutes.”
Farmar will be ready to step up when his number is called, but he’s also excited to learn from one of th...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
