LA Lakers: What Each Player Must Do for Lake Show to Surge

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The Los Angeles Lakers have been pretty mediocre so far this season. Kobe Bryant has resurged this year as far as his individual game goes, but the team has not followed suit.

Each player has a way they can improve to help the team get back to championship form. Some need to shoot more, some need to shoot less and other need to improve in other areas.

Here's a breakdown of what each player in the Lakers' rotation must do for the Lakers to be the best again.

Kobe Bryant

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It starts at the top. Kobe Bryant must do a better job of sharing the ball.

Right now, Bryant is shooting 44 percent from the field. Both of his post men, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, are shooting over 50 percent from the field.

Bryant is averaging 24 shots per game, leading the NBA by far. Gasol and Bynum shoot about half of that each.

Bryant must learn to be more of a floor general. This team is better when he is averaging less points and spreading the ball around. If he wants to win another championship and tie Michael Jordan with six, he needs to do that.

Andrew Bynum

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It's simple to figure out what Andrew Bynum needs to do in order for the Lakers to be championship contenders: exactly what he's doing now.

He averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds per game, along with two blocks. The only criticism to be made is that he doesn't get the ball enough, which is not his fault.

Bynum is proving that he's in the conversation with Dwight Howard as the best center in the NBA.

Pau Gasol

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Pau Gasol is having a very solid year. He's averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game. For most power forwards that would be a highlight year, but it isn't for Gasol.

Gasol needs to play bigger. Doing that probably won't change his stat line much, but it will change his impact in games.

He needs to demand the ball more, play stronger defense and be more of a presence on the court. At times, he seems to disappear. He must remedy that.

Derek Fisher

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Derek Fisher is a great guy to have on your team. He provides great leadership and poise, and few veterans have accomplished as much as he has.

However, he is getting pretty old. He's shooting just 37 percent from the field and averaging just six points per game. It's also pretty clear that he can't play much defense anymore.

Nothing can be done for Fisher. His deficiencies come from age. All a fan can ask of him is that he is mature enough to understand that his role must be gradually diminished. I believe he has that maturity.

Metta World Peace

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Much of Derek Fisher's slide applies here.

Ron Artest had a good career in the NBA. He was a star who came to the Lakers later in his career to win a championship and accomplished that goal.

Metta World Peace is an old player who contributes very little to his team. He shoots 32 percent from the field, averages less than five points per game and has lost his ability to be a shut down defender.

Metta World Peace needs to do one thing to help this team: leave and make sure that that Ron Artest guy comes back in his place.

Steve Blake

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Steve Blake has been a very solid role player throughout his career. He hasn't had the impact most would have liked him to have on this Lakers team.

He needs to shoot better from the three-point line. That is the biggest way he can expect to contribute to this team. He's shooting 35 percent at the moment, which is alright, but not good enough.

Him shooting better can only help the Lakers.

Matt Barnes

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Matt Barnes reminds me a lot of a younger Ron Artest. He's never had Artest-caliber talent, but he's been a solid defender who contributes in multiple ways to his team.

That's exactly what he must do for this Lakers squad. He needs to be a hard-nosed defensive stopper who scores some, rebounds some and does a little bit of everything else.

Troy Murphy

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Troy Murphy was brought in to provide depth for a Lakers frontcourt that was ridiculously thin behind Bynum and Gasol. His job is to play hard and contribute everything he can in his limited minutes.

He needs to play better in most areas. He's making a very small offensive impact, but that is probably due to his limited minutes. He needs to focus on playing good defense while Bynum and/or Gasol get rest on the bench.

Josh McRoberts

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The situation of Josh McRoberts is very similar to that of Troy Murphy. He is there to provide depth and give quality minutes off the bench.

He's been a bench guy all his life and a fairly decent one. I'd like to see him improve in his shooting percentage and rebounds a bit, but that will be difficult given his lack of playing time.

All he can do for this team is play solid defense and play as efficiently as possible while in the game.

Devin Ebanks

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Devin Ebanks is a young, talented player. At 6'9", he has good length and wingspan for a wing player and good be a great defender.

However, despite his playing time more than doubling, all of his stats have gone down. That isn't a good sign for this young man's future.

He needs to play better when he's in the game. He needs to shoot better from the field and put forth bigger effort in order to get bigger playing time. His career depends on it and so the Lakers' chances.