Blake is a steady guard who is not quite the athlete that Farmar is, and his signing makes you wonder if the Lakers shouldn't have pushed a little harder to keep Farmar in the fold.
Farmar allegedly was looking for a way out of Los Angeles. So, the Lakers' hand was likely forced, but considering the experience they lose in Farmar the trade-off may not be worth it.
Blake is a NBA veteran with seven years of his own experience, and he may not be as erratic as Farmar, but he is far less likely to finish plays in the spectacular manner that Farmar was capable of.
Farmar was a fan favorite because on hard drives to the rim where he should have laid the ball in, he chose to dunk instead, and the excitement he and fellow reserve Shannon Brown created cannot be duplicated by Blake.
But, the consistent decision making and tough defense Blake provides may be more valuable to the Lakers than Farmar's occasional show-stopping plays, and his game is easily adaptable to the Lakers' scheme.
By all rights Farmar should be a much better defender than Blake due to his natural ability, but the mental part of Farmar's game has yet to catch up with the physical.
One of the Lakers' biggest issues the past few seasons has been their inability to defend opposing point guards and prevent penetration, and now Blake becomes the best defensive point guard on the roster.
That may sound a little extreme but Blake does have a reputation as a superior defensive player, and it will be refreshing to see another player get a chance to make a defensive difference on the perimeter.
Sometimes it was painful to watch the Lakers' point guards being constantly abused off the dribble, a...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
