LA Lakers: Projecting Stat Lines for Entire Starting Lineup Next Season

Steve Nash has joined the Los Angeles Lakers, paving the way for an avenue of change that begins now.

Though the Lakers' projected starting lineup will look relatively similar to last year's, the potential impact of the former NBA MVP changes everything offensively.

Factor in the newfound confidence each member of Los Angeles' starting five will be instilled with, and you have a team waiting to break out defensively as well.

And the first place that will all be reflected in is the stat sheet.

Andrew Bynum, C

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 18.7 points, 1.4 assists, 11.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 0.5 steals, 2.5 turnovers, 55.8 percent shooting

Projected 2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 18.3 points, 1.6 assists, 12.7 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 0.3 steals, 1.2 turnovers, 53.7 percent shooting

For the time being, it seems that Andrew Bynum isn't going anywhere, which is spectacular for him as Steve Nash loves to draw in defenses before finding an open big man.

Don't expect Bynum's numbers from the 2011-12 campaign to change drastically, especially in the points department, as Nash loves to spread the ball around.

The most notable changes we will see in Bynum's numbers are an increased focus on rebounding and shot-blocking—since Nash's perpetual ball movement won't allow for excessive post-ups—and more of an emphasis on protecting the ball, as he averaged 2.5 turnovers per game last season.

Don't be surprised to see Bynum's field-goal percentage drop as well. Nash's presence will beg him to develop a mid-range game, and makes don't come as easy outside 10 feet.

At the end of the year, though—provided he isn't traded—expect Bynum's stat sheet to reflect a more rounded and consistent version of the player he was this past season. 

Pau Gasol, PF

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 17.4 points, 3.2 assists, 10.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 0.6 steals, 2.2 turnovers, 50.1 percent shooting

Projected 2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 19.8 points, 3.8 assists, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 0.5 steals, 1.5 turnovers, 53.1 percent shooting

Pau Gasol will be the player on the Lakers that benefits most from Steve Nash's presence.

Gasol has lost himself over the past two years, but next to a point guard who embraces high pick-and-rolls, drive-and-kicks and thread-the-needle bounce passes, the seven-footer will once again emerge as a dominant offensive presence.

More open looks will work wonders for Gasol's point totals and efficiency from the field, and his value as a passer will reach an all-time level of prevalence.

Alongside Nash, a return to the NBA All-Star game is not out of the question. 

Metta World Peace, SF

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 7.7 points, 2.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 0.4 blocks, 1.1 steals, 1.1 turnovers, 39.4 percent shooting

Projected 2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 9.4 points, 1.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, 1.7 steals, 1.2 turnovers, 41.3 percent shooting

Metta World Peace displays subtle improvements moving into next season.

With Steve Nash running the show on offense, he'll have the ball in his hands less yet will receive more open looks from the outside, which should allow his point totals and shooting percentages to increase.

World Peace's rebounding and steals per contest should also see a slight rise, assuming a less prominent role on offense will allow him to focus on hitting the glass and defending the passing lanes even more.

And that's great news for the Lakers, who will only avoid amnestying him if they believe he won't render himself completely useless. 

Kobe Bryant, SG

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 27.9 points, 4.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 0.3 blocks, 1.2 steals, 3.5 turnovers, 43.0 percent shooting

Projected 2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 29.4 points, 5.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 0.2 blocks, 1.0 steals, 2.4 turnovers, 46.8 percent shooting

Here's where it gets slightly complicated.

With Steve Nash at the helm, Kobe Bryant is going to have to play off the ball more, which some expect him to struggle doing. I, however, see the Black Mamba having one of the best seasons of his career.

Bryant has developed into a serial jump shooter as he's aged, and if there's one thing habitual jump shooters love, it's uncontested looks coming off screens. Those are the types of looks Bryant stands to get under the 360-degree eyes of Nash.

Subsequently, Bryant's shooting percentages will skyrocket, he'll continue to battle for a scoring title and turnovers—now that he won't be creating for himself as much—will diminish significantly.

The one area of his game that may be set back by Nash's presence, though, is his defense. He'll be forced to help out up top more, hurting his ability to defend the passing lanes ever so slightly.

Based on how much Bryant stands to gain in every other facet of the game, though, that's certainly a price worth paying.

Steve Nash, PG

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 12.5 points, 10.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 0.1 blocks, 0.6 steals, 3.7 turnovers, 53.2 percent shooting

Projected 2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 13.1 points, 11.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 0.1 blocks, 0.5 steals, 3.9 turnovers, 52.7 percent shooting

Steve Nash is going to flourish with the Lakers.

Not only does Nash have a bounty of weapons on the inside to penetrate and then defer to, but pick-and-rolls with Kobe Bryant are bound to become a team staple.

While many would perhaps expect Nash's assist totals to increase even more, the Lakers don't have the type of outside shooters of the Suns, all but ruling out an even more lucrative stat line in that regard.

Nash also runs the risk of attempting to be too unselfish in his new role in Los Angeles, which will lead to a slight increase in his turnovers per game.

Other than that, though, Nash will continue to score, knock down more than half of his jump shots and direct the hell out of his offense—everything and more you could want from a 38-year-old floor general.

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