Los Angeles Lakers: Breaking Down Lakers Biggest Needs Before Next Season

The Los Angeles Lakers' 2012 offseason is already seen as a smashing success after landing Steve Nash, the franchise's elusive point guard, via a sign-and-trade deal with the Phoenix Suns. However, the Lakers roster, with a star-studded starting five and improved bench due to the signing of Antawn Jamison, still has some glaring needs to fulfill before next season.

Whether the Lakers decide to address these needs for next season's championship run or for long-term improvement when their aging stars fade into retirement, additional smart moves would help.

Adding veterans like Nash and Jamison are seen as "win now" moves. There's little question that the Lakers are poised to make at least two more runs at a title with Kobe Bryant running the show.

However, there are some needs that management must address moving forward to put this team in the best position in the distant and not-so-distant future.

5. Youth

Four of the five Lakers' starters for next season are 32 years old or older right now. Only Andrew Bynum, at 24 years old (who will turn 25 in October), is under that advanced age threshold.

In addition, two of the Lakers' key pieces off the bench in the second unit, Antawn Jamison and Steve Blake, are 36 and 32 years old, respectively.

Even so, the Lakers do have some pieces on the roster in between the ages of 22 and 23 years old. Christian Eyenga, Andrew Goudelock (pictured), Darius Johnson-Odom and Robert Sacre qualify as the young pups at the moment.

However, summer league losses by margins of 40 and 50 points exemplify the evident lack of talent from the Lakers youngsters.

In the 50-point loss to the Miami Heat's summer league team, Robert Sacre had a plus/minus ratio of minus-50. Meaning that when Sacre was out on the floor, the Lakers were outscored by 50 points...yeesh.

Anyway, the point here is that while the Lakers do have young players on their current roster, they aren't guys who are going to step in and take the reins when Nash and Bryant inevitably retire.

The Lakers would take some pressure off if they added talented, young players as a Plan B of sorts after the Bryant/Gasol/Nash core eclipses its shelf life.

However, trading away first-round picks for Jordan Hill and Ramon Sessions last season, in addition to sending two first-rounders and two second-rounders to Phoenix for Nash, hint that the Lakers could struggle to rebuild three or four years down the road.

4. Perimeter Shooting

The Los Angeles Lakers' lack of perimeter threats last season didn't exactly hurt them in the win column, but it's certainly an area of need for this team moving forward.

Last season, the Lakers shot a lowly 32.6 percent from three-point territory as a team. Only the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Bobcats were worse shooting the ball from distance a season ago, according to ESPN.

As if that's not ugly enough, during the playoffs in 2012 Ramon Sessions shot 4-for-25 from beyond the arc (16 percent) and Matt Barnes shot 5-for-31 from beyond the arc (16.1 percent).

Those are putrid numbers that simply have to get better moving forward.

Nash (39 percent from three-point range last season) and Jamison (34.1 percent from three-point range last season) will both help in that department, but adding more perimeter threats would add an interesting dimension to an already dangerous team.

3. Depth

Steve Nash is 38 years old and Kobe Bryant will turn 34 years old in August, so adding depth to the Lakers second unit has to be a priority moving forward.

The ultimate goal for the Lakers next season is winning a title. Although winning as many games as possible during the regular season to get a desirable playoff seed and home-court advantage would be a luxury, the Lakers have to be healthy when the postseason rolls around, simple as that.

Having solid second and even third options off the bench at important positions would be invaluable to a team like the Lakers. Not to mention the fact that if one of the Lakers' four best players suffers an injury, they'll be a vastly depleted team.

Bryant and Pau Gasol will both be coming off stints playing in the Olympics this summer, and following a grueling lockout-shortened schedule and playoff run, fatigue has to be a concern.

The more rest the Lakers' core gets throughout the season, the better the team's chances of competing for a title next summer.

Being able to rest their stars and get key contributions off the bench? Now that would be a luxury for Mike Brown and Co.

2. Defense

Outside of the self-proclaimed "best wing defender ever" (h/t Eddie Yang, tweetscenter.com), Metta World Peace, along with Kobe Bryant, who is a near lock to make NBA All-Defensive teams every year, the Lakers don't have much in the defense department.

Both Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are solid shot-blockers as big men on the defensive end, but Bynum's motivation on that end of floor is sometimes in question and Lakers fans have seen enough of this highlight.

The Lakers' need for perimeter defenders undoubtedly outweighs their need for interior defense, but an upgrade in both departments would be appreciated.

Steve Nash is infamous for his lack of defensive prowess and he isn't getting any younger. Also, while you can't blame his effort, Steve Blake simply can't stay in front of quicker guards like Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Goran Dragic.

According to Matt Moore of CBS Sports, the Lakers are close to adding defensive-minded center, Jermaine O'Neal.

While O'Neal has had a seemingly impossible time staying healthy in recent years, he'd be able to defend the paint in short stints off the bench while giving Bynum a breather.

Protecting the rim will be important for Los Angeles moving forward considering Nash can't assign himself a designated defender.

1. Bench Scoring

Last season, the Lakers' leading scorers off the bench were Matt Barnes (7.8 points points per game) and Steve Blake (5.2 points per game).

Adding Antawn Jamison, who averaged 17.2 points per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, is a gigantic improvement to the Lakers' second unit for next season.

Even so, the Lakers need more spark plugs off the bench to place alongside Jamison in the second unit if their bench can go from Achilles' heel to an actual strength.

This is especially true since Blake, Josh McRoberts and Jordan Hill have shown that they aren't able to put up points in limited minutes (they averaged just 12.7 points per game combined last season).

Players like J.R. Smith or Randy Foye would have been perfect additions for the Lakers to provide some instant offense off their bench. However, Smith re-signed with the New York Knicks and Foye recently signed a one-year deal with the Utah Jazz.

Nevertheless, there are still some intriguing options the Lakers could pursue. Leandro Barbosa, Michael Redd and even Gilbert Arenas are some of the names still available.