Steve Nash to Lakers: Best Case Scenario for Lakers Next Season with Nash

With Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns agreeing to a sign-and trade with the L.A. Lakers—as reported by ESPN's Marc Stein—the Lakers have pulled off arguably the best acquisition of the 2012 offseason.

Now that the Lakers have a big four with Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, it's clear that the 2012-'13 season is "championship or bust" for the Lake Show.

The best case scenario for the Lakers with Nash is obviously to hoist the 2013 Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy at the end of the season, but let's break down the development of what a championship season would look like for the Lakers.

The start of next season for the Lakers could certainly get off to a rocky start.

The chemistry between Kobe and Nash could take a few weeks to develop, and that will certainly be the biggest hurdle for the Lakers as they start next season.

The good thing for the Lakers though is that Nash and Kobe bring different styles of leadership to the court, and that will help them work out the differences between them that pop up throughout the start of the season.

Nash is a positive leader who's focused on building chemistry through positive encouragement and intentional interactions with his teammates. Kobe, on the other hand, leads with a confrontational level of leadership. He's not afraid to call people out and challenge his teammates.

That rare combination of leadership will certainly help the Lakers' transition into being a cohesive unit, which will quickly translate into success.

Honestly, the best case scenario for the Lakers is that they struggle early on, so that they get out the kinks in their rotation early on in the season rather than struggling late.

If the Lakers struggle early on, and work through the lack of chemistry they are bound to have, they will not only be a better team, they will also be a true contender for the 2013 NBA title.

If Kobe can adjust to the way that Nash plays, and allow him to control the pace of the offense, the Lakers will be an extremely dangerous team.

That is without a doubt the best case scenario for the Lakers next season. With the maturity that has developed in Kobe over the last few seasons, I think it's safe to say that he'll be able to let Nash shine in a way that makes him a more efficient player and also makes the Lakers a more competitive team.