In fact, there are a lot of ways this team, which is composed of superstar talents like Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol, could fall apart in a hurry. But there is one player out there who could bring it all together.
Derek Fisher.
As strange as it is to say that a 38-year-old point guard who shot 34 percent from the field and averaged less than five points per game last season is the glue to a team with players like Bryant and Howard, there is something to the idea of leadership and ego-checking in the NBA.
Marc Stein of ESPN reported that Fisher is eligible to sign with the Lakers after being traded to Houston last March:
Sources briefed on the discussions told ESPN.com on Monday that Fisher has, indeed, been verified by the league office as eligible to re-sign with the Lakers since July 1, which runs counter to the widely held assumption that Fisher had to wait at least one year from the date that the Lakers dealt him to Houston in March before a reunion with Kobe Bryant would be permissible.
Think back, if you would, to the 2003-04 season. The Lakers already had Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal on the roster, then added Gary Payton and Karl Malone in free agency. Everyone assumed they were going to walk to a title.
Things fell apart, though not until they made the NBA Finals. While Fisher was part of that team, he hadn't built up the credibility in the locker room that is needed to take control of things when they are divided.
We have no idea how all these huge personalities are going to fit together, but we do know that Fisher can make the transition easier with his calming p...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
