NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Should Give Steve Blake Another Shot
NBA trade rumors attached to Los Angeles Lakers players should cease until they’ve had chance to shine in Mike D’Antoni’s offense.
Because it works wonders.
According to Mark Stein of ESPN, it isn’t out of the question that LA would execute a trade in order to acquire a respectable backup point guard. Because after all, it’s debatable that Chris Duhon, Darius Morris and Steve Blake could be respectable members of a championship-caliber rotation.
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Blake, though, deserves one more shot to prove himself before the Lakers find his replacement.
Since signing in Los Angeles three summers ago, he’s been a huge disappointment. Blake was supposed to provide a scoring spark off the bench but only averaged 4.0 and 5.2 points per game the past two seasons.
In D’Antoni’s offense, though, those numbers could double. Metta World Peace and Jodie Meeks will attest to that.
World Peace averaged 11.0 points per game his first season in Purple and Gold, and that number decreased each of the next two seasons, all the way down to 7.7 last year. This season, he’s averaging 13.8 points per game and 17.4 over the last seven games.
All of a sudden, World Peace isn’t an offensive liability anymore.
Meeks has also blown up under D’Antoni. Mike Brown rarely even played the three-point specialist. But over his last 10 games, Meeks is averaging 12.7 points a contest.
He averaged 6.0 in November.
If Blake is given the same opportunity as Meeks and World Peace, the Lakers may not have to make another roster move the rest of the season.
Mike Bresnahan on the Los Angeles Times recently reported that Blake should be back in two to three weeks. That’s just enough time for him to shake off the rust and see if D’Antoni’s scheme can set him free from his shooting shackles.
And if it can’t, then Mitch Kupchack has plenty of time to work his magic before the Feb. 21 trade deadline.
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.
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