Is this a championship team?
Much like last year, it seems that this team is very thin. A lot of the guys in their rotation won't be very good. Their back up PG Steve Blake is good off the bench, but McBob and Troy Murphy won't be helpful. Other than Jordan Hill, there is no size on the bench, and even he's a free agent. This team is not at all deep, and that will hinder their success.
Nash is a defensive liability. He can't stay with guys like Russell Westbrook, or anyone for that matter. The short answer is: he's old.
Everyone is saying that the signing of Nash will help Pau Gasol play better and allow him to play near the rim instead of waiting to take a mid-range shot. That is a misconception. In Mike Brown's offense, the PF will always play on the free throw line, and Nash will not change that.
Offensively, this move changes a lot. It allows Bynum to actually touch the ball once in a while, and Kobe's usage rate can actually decrease. Kobe dominated the ball way too much last year, and that helped his FG'% dip to a bad number (for him) of 43%
Nash is also a great shooter, so when the defense is drawn in to help against Kobe, Bynum, and Gasol, Nash can be ready to take the pass and shoot some 3s.
Overall, the Lakers offense will improve, but other factors will prevent them from making it out of the conference. Younger and more athletic teams like OKC, the Clippers, and even the Grizzlies (who need to add some pieces to compete for the Conference Title), will run circles around the older Lakers. The worst part is, they can't take much of a rest, because if they do, they are trusting Christian Eyenga and his PER of 4.8 (you essentially get a 5 for existing) to give quality minutes.
Nash is a defensive liability. He can't stay with guys like Russell Westbrook, or anyone for that matter. The short answer is: he's old.
Everyone is saying that the signing of Nash will help Pau Gasol play better and allow him to play near the rim instead of waiting to take a mid-range shot. That is a misconception. In Mike Brown's offense, the PF will always play on the free throw line, and Nash will not change that.
Offensively, this move changes a lot. It allows Bynum to actually touch the ball once in a while, and Kobe's usage rate can actually decrease. Kobe dominated the ball way too much last year, and that helped his FG'% dip to a bad number (for him) of 43%
Nash is also a great shooter, so when the defense is drawn in to help against Kobe, Bynum, and Gasol, Nash can be ready to take the pass and shoot some 3s.
Overall, the Lakers offense will improve, but other factors will prevent them from making it out of the conference. Younger and more athletic teams like OKC, the Clippers, and even the Grizzlies (who need to add some pieces to compete for the Conference Title), will run circles around the older Lakers. The worst part is, they can't take much of a rest, because if they do, they are trusting Christian Eyenga and his PER of 4.8 (you essentially get a 5 for existing) to give quality minutes.
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