NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Wasting Time Focusing on Michael Beasley

If the next trade the Lakers make doesn't bring them a point guard, heads need to roll in Los Angeles. Michael Beasley is not a point guard and shouldn't be anywhere near their radar. 

Yet according to Chris Broussard of ESPN, the Lakers are interested in bringing in Beasley from Minnesota. 

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The Lakers' front office knows Kobe Bryant is looking for it to improve the roster, and GM Mitch Kupchak has been working the phones. He's spoken to Minnesota about Michael Beasley, and sources say the Lakers are intrigued by the Timberwolves' small forward. The Lakers were actually in discussions with Minnesota about a potential trade for Beasley before the season started. If they would have been able to pull off the deal for Chris Paul, there is a good chance that a trade for Beasley would have followed. 

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Notice one key element of what Broussard said. They were interested in him in the offseason, but a trade bringing Chris Paul to the Lake Show would have come first. Obviously, Paul is not an option anymore but the Lakers shouldn't be calling any team about a single player that's not a point guard. 

Los Angeles' point guard play has been abysmal this year. The statistics tell you everything you need to know. 

	MPG	PPG	APG	SPG
Derek Fisher	25.4	5.2	3.5	0.97
Steve Blake	25.5	7.1	3.0	0.58

In no way is that going to get it done. The numbers are abysmal, especially when you consider that these players share a backcourt with Kobe Bryant. Yes, Kobe shoots a lot, but he also faces a lot of double-teams. That means that there is open space in the backcourt for the point guard to get clean shots. 

If the guards aren't taking advantage of those looks in significant minutes, they don't belong on the floor of a championship team. Actually, if they're logging significant minutes, it won't be for a championship team. 

The only acceptable place for the Lakers to focus is at the point guard position. I would even hold that stance if the player in question was a superstar with no character issues. But even if I grant that argument, Beasley is not a superstar and does have character issues. 

This team is going to get flattened by the likes of Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook if they can't make their point guard position better. No, they won't find one of that caliber, but the Lakers can close the gap enough to allow their advantages (Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum) to win a series. 

Beasley can not be brought in until the Lakers have a competent point guard. Any trade Los Angeles makes until that man is acquired is a waste of time and effort. 

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