Los Angeles Lakers: Why the Steve Nash Acquisition Is Not Enough

Following the out of nowhere sign-and-trade for future Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers' fans and media members began asking, "Alright, now when's Dwight Howard coming to town?"

Although the Lakers will be pairing Nash in the backcourt with Kobe Bryant, it's still not enough to make them the favorites in the Western Conference. That title still belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the best young player combination in recent memory.

If things were to go as planned, the Nash acquisition would be step one in a larger scheme. Nash put the Lakers ahead of the San Antonio Spurs on paper, in terms of favorites for next season. But acquiring Howard would be step two—the game-changer. Acquiring Howard is the move that would make the Lakers the champions of the off-season, similar to the Miami Heat two summers ago.

Like the New York Yankees of MLB, the Lakers franchise measures itself on championships alone. It's the only coaching job in the NBA where two second round playoff exits in a row can get a man fired.

Since 1975-76, the Lakers have only missed the postseason twice. They have reached the championship game 32 times, winning the title on 17 occasions. Their Los Angeles counterparts, the Clippers, have only made the postseason eight times in franchise history. Basically, the Lakers are the gold standard in the NBA. They are the model franchise—love them or hate them.

That's why the sign-and-trade for Nash is not enough to suffice the fan base. The Nash acquisition makes the Lakers a better team, but it still does not make the title favorites. The backcourt defensive depth and overall team athleticism is still questionable.

Other than Nash, the Lakers still lack shooters to spread the floor. And although the Lakers top four guys are all great players, the Thunder's top four guys are still scarier.



The only available move that cou...

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