Los Angeles Lakers: 5 Bench Players That Must Step Up for Lakers in the Playoffs

Going into the postseason the Los Angeles Lakers are looking tough. They had a strong showing against the Clippers in the Battle for L.A. matchup, but the starters can't do it all on their own. Their bench has to step up their play in order to ensure the Lakers win another championship.

Ranking a bench is tough because if you're on the bench, you obviously need to improve, but some players need this more than others. Then there's the odd situation of players on the bench who really shouldn't be there. Goudelock is a perfect example of this type of player. Finally, there are the players who are nearly neck-and-neck with another for a starting position, but for some reason they aren't quite there yet.

Who starts is obviously up to the coach, and there's been a lot of speculation about Coach Mike Brown's choices, but regardless, there are some players who need to step it up in the playoffs.

Steve Blake

At this point, everyone has talked about how much Steve Blake needs to step up his game, but the facts remain the same. When Derek Fisher was on the Lakers, Steve Blake looked like a pretty good point guard, but with the addition of Sessions, Blake has been demoted to second string, and some would even argue that he should be third.

Watching Blake come in for Sessions is like watching the whole flow of the game get slower and less efficient. He's shooting a near-career low 36 percent and scoring only about five points a game. His stats are not impressive, but they're not atrocious. What is bad is his speed.

Come playoffs, the Lakers will face teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, who run circles around Blake. In order to make up for this lack of speed, he'll need to work on that shooting to ensure that any shot he takes makes up for one he might surrender.

Troy Murphy

Murphy was brought onto the Lakers to shoot and give the team some cushion at the 4. He does this adequately enough. Unfortunately, doing an average job doesn't win championships. The man is 6'11" which means he can use this size to his advantage. The Lakers have a very tall roster which works to their advantage if they can use it. Murphy is averaging 3.3 points a game and is a 44 percent shooter. This is because he shoots nearly as many jumpers as he does layups.

The way Murphy can step it up in the playoffs is to take smarter shots and drive to the hoop. Being nearly seven feet tall doesn't mean you should take a low percentage jumper, it means you should drive to the basket for an easy bucket. If Murphy can start taking more shots from within the paint rather than jumpers, he'll help the Lakers out immensely in the playoffs.

Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes has been really impressive lately and I'm one of those who think he should be starting over Metta World Peace, but the fact of the matter is that he isn't. Barnes seems to have embraced coming off the bench, but the real way he can step it up to help the Lakers in the playoffs is to earn a starting spot.

Barnes has been playing extremely well since Sessions joined the team because Barnes seems to be the only player getting consistent time who can match Sessions' speed. Despite being a 32-year-old NBA veteran, Barnes seems to be revitalized with the young new point guard and his game is showing it. 

While Barnes brings an energy off the bench that is very important, this energy would be better used as a starter. He can shoot, but looks to facilitate more often. Since no one knows what's going on between the ears of Mike Brown, the best thing Barnes can do to improve is learn how to play without Sessions like he does with him. That requires him to learn to mesh with the much slower, though capable, Steve Blake.

Josh McRoberts

Josh McRoberts finally got to start for the Lakers in lieu of Andrew Bynum not playing against the New Jersey Nets, and boy did he do a job. I've liked McRoberts from the beginning because he constantly plays with an energy the rest of the team seems to only have on select nights.

His stats are very comparable to Murphy's but it's the eagerness to play and will to win that he brings to a game that makes him an asset. But he has some definite areas that he could improve in.

McRoberts is not fast nor is he very skilled at ball-handling (as evidenced by the ugly behind-the-back dribble and shot he took at the end of the first half against the Nets). He is, however, good at driving the ball to the net and getting his shot. He knows that he's better in the paint and makes an effort to be there. However, his ability to effectively handle the ball and muscle his way to the basket is a point of weakness. If he can work on this, he'll be a much bigger asset in the playoffs.

Jordan Hill

The Lakers acquired Hill in a trade with the Houston Rockets to provide some depth at center. Hill is 6'10" and extremely athletic. While he lacks precise skills, he has the ability and intelligence to be an asset to this team in the playoffs.

During this time, players play for more minutes than during the regular season, but they still need a rest every now and then. Hill would be a good backup for Bynum, but unfortunately he's injured and hasn't had much playing time with this team. What Hill needs to do is to get healthy and let coach Brown know he's ready to help out.

Riding the bench and coming along for the ride is not what the Lakers need. They need fast, strong men in the middle who can challenge Perkins and other guys like Blake Griffin who have a strong post presence.