Which, in a poignant way, meant that an injection of new life (Steve Nash), while helpful, could never pay the same dividends for them as walking through the fountain the youth (Dwight Howard).
Nevertheless, there are two changes that desperately needed to take place in La-La Land: a culture change and a regime change.
And with the addition of Steve Nash, a two-time MVP, the former has now been addressed while the latter is still up for debate.
The first mistake media pundits made with the arrival of Nash is trying to quantify what he brings to LA. Only, can you really get away with that when dealing with a former MVP?
To be sure, maybe we should ask the Lakers crosstown rivals that question.
Chris Paul came to the Clippers last season and elevated them from a lottery team to a second-round exit in the playoffs. And, yes, while Paul was never a former MVP, he has been a perennial candidate virtually his entire career. Stack his numbers against the other top PGs in the league and maybe you won't see what he brings to the table.
But he was able to change the culture in LA.
Okay, maybe that example doesn't really fit the bill well enough.
So, let's go a little further outside LA, all the way to the Eastern Conference and the vaunted nemesis Boston Celtics.
They just gave Kevin Garnett the exact same deal the Lakers signed Steve Nash to. And even though Garnett is two years younger than Nash, his health problems have been well-documented throughout the course of his time in Boston.
So why did the Celtics keep him instead of holding off for a brighter tomorrow with a younger player?
Because the former MVP is a culture changer.
Whic...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
