What Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers Need to Win the Championship Next Year

The L.A. Lakers were swept by the NBA champions in the Dallas Mavericks. They have received a lot of criticism, even though they won the championship the two years before and still remain an undeniable force in this league. Obviously though, they have some serious issues they need to account for. In no particular order, here are eight I find most important.

 

A Young, Talented Point Guard to Replace Derek Fisher

Derek Fisher is aging. With age comes wisdom, but for Fisher, age comes with a lot of wear and tear on his body. Fisher can no longer keep up with the young, speedy point guards taking over the NBA. The way he chased players such as Chris Paul and J.J. Barea was almost mediocre.

With the drafting of Darius Morris at the No. 41 spot in the 2011 NBA draft, the Lakers now have a youthful point guard with speed and an impressive passing ability. Fisher will be a good mentor for Morris and will help grow him into a skilled point guard in the NBA.

 

Youth

Last season, the Lakers' age became more evident than ever before, and they brought in rookies Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks. These players were good enough to make the team but need more time to mature to become of substantial value. With Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock, Los Angeles gets two guards that can be nurtured into the starting role for the Lake Show. 

 

Athleticism

The Lakers' most athletic player is easily Shannon Brown. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, he played minimally behind guards Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Steve Blake. The Lakers want to get an electric swingman that runs the fast break to get them more easy buckets. They have been involved in rumors to get Andre Iguodala for Lamar Odom and Luke Walton. If they can make that happen, Los Angeles will be that much better of a team.

 

Kobe Bryant Needs to Accept Mike Brown a...