Lakers Trade Rumors: Long List of Available Guards Won't Help Los Angeles

There's no question that the Los Angeles Lakers need a young point guard to go deep into the playoffs.

The only problem is, there aren't any available point guards who are good enough to make a huge difference.

Players such as Gilbert Arenas, Ramon Sessions, Jonny Flynn and Rajon Rondo have been linked to the Lakers. But Arenas, Sessions and Flynn aren't good enough, and Rondo would come with a hefty price tag, such as Pau Gasol.

Excluding Rondo (because trading Gasol would hurt them too much), the only player on this list I see making any kind of impact is Sessions, but that would only come on the offensive side of the ball. Sessions is known as a horrid defender, and that's exactly the problem for the Lakers: their point guards can't defend good point guards.

I don't doubt that the Lakers will add one of these guys, especially given Steve Blake sustained a costrochaondral fracture on Jan. 11. I just don't think any of these guys will matter in the long run.

You also have to look at the big picture. Even if the Lakers found a defensive-minded, young point guard, that's not their only problem. The problem is that they haven't been closing out games, and that's something entirely different altogether.

You look at the Lakers' team stats and you wonder why they aren't leading the Western Conference. They've allowed opponents to shoot just 41.8 percent from the field (best in the NBA), have shot 45 percent as a team, are second in rebounding differential and lead the league in turnover differential.

It all comes down to offensive balance. Phil Jackson was an excellent coach because he understood balance. Under Mike Brown, we haven't seen this balance. Gasol has openly complained about not being used in the post enough and Andrew Bynum - despite averaging 17.1 points and 12.4 rebounds - still doesn't get his due in the fourth quarter. I know Kobe Bryant is their closer, but you have to have more balance than they've had thus far.

The Lakers won't win a championship this season with the list of available guards they've been linked to. If they somehow find this magical, young, defensive-minded point guard, they still won't get anywhere without addressing their fourth-quarter issues.

Let's just say I'm not high on the Lakers this season.