5 Reasons Steve Blake's Injury Will Hurt the Los Angeles Lakers

It's no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers could use a stud at the point guard position.

However, up until Steve Blake's injury, it seemed as though the tandem of Blake and Derek Fisher would work just fine as long as they could continue to play well.

It seems we're already starting to see the effects of Blake's absence.

Far too many times in the past few games have I thrown my hands in the air and simply yelled at the television because I couldn't figure out what sort of offense the team was running, in particular when Fisher was on the bench.

Hopefully, Blake's injury won't keep him away for too long. Until then, here are a few things fans should look out for as the Lakers try to figure out a way to fill the void at the point.

Derek Fisher Will Take on Too Many Minutes

Everyone already knows that Derek Fisher isn’t his best during the regular season.

The reason the man is a Laker legend is because of his ability to make big plays during the playoffs.

However, with Steve Blake out, Fisher is going to have to play more minutes in a condensed schedule. At the age of 37, it’s important that Fisher gets his rest, as the team will certainly need him at the end of the season.

Unfortunately, with rookies as the only alternative, Fisher is being asked to take on more time, which could really hurt the Lakers later on.

Three-Point Shooting Is Already in Demand

As already one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league, the Lakers can’t really afford to have their most reliable long-range threat out for long.

While obviously Kobe Bryant  is capable of hitting the long ball, as are Jason Kapono, Derek Fisher, and Matt Barnes, Steve Blake has been the only player thus far this season to put up consistent numbers from that distance.

The offense is already in enough trouble as it is, and losing a player that is capable of spreading the floor and making defenses pay for double-teams will make putting up points a bigger struggle.

Less Veteran Leadership in the Second Unit

While the team has plenty of veteran leadership when Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher are on the court, Steve Blake was able to take the reins with the second unit in.

In close games where every moment seems to count, the Lakers are struggling to stay focused at times when they should be vastly outscoring their opponents.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that the team’s recent struggles have coincided perfectly with Blake’s absence.

Lack of Ball Movement

As much as I like Darius Morris as a potential talent, I worry that he doesn’t have the proper basketball IQ yet to run the Lakers offense.

Too often he seems to over-dribble and miss key opportunities to move the ball. 

The ball can move faster than any player, and yet, the Lakers rarely move the ball in a way that opens up the offense.

Steve Blake is a pass-first player, which is a bit of a rarity on this team. With one less guy looking out for his teammates, I fear the offense will continue to look stagnant, and the big men won’t get the proper touches.

Thinning Bench

Looking at the Lakers bench, there seems to be plenty of talent. However, this year, there have been few consistent contributors.

The two leaders of the second unit seem to be Josh McRoberts and Steve Blake, even though we’re supposed to believe they’re lead by Metta World Peace.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the bench has been underperforming this year, but one bright spot was Blake’s stellar play.

Without him, the team is forced to go deeper into a bench that clearly is not comfortable yet running Mike Brown’s offense.