Lakers News: Latest Buzz on New Player Comments, Search for a Point Guard, More

Slowly but surely, the Los Angeles Lakers trudge along in an offseason following a year in which they won 27 games, the fewest since they won 25 in the 1959-60 season. 

They're attempting to overhaul their roster around one of the game's greatest players in Kobe Bryant, who seems to be in the twilight of his career, while putting their hopes in the hands of their 2015 first-round draft pick, D'Angelo Russell. 

But a supporting cast will be much needed if the Lakers want a shot at becoming even a fraction of the side that made them so dominant during the first decade of the 2000s. And they're doing everything possible to address that. 

Hibbert, Bass, Williams Introduced

The Lakers introduced three of those players needed to help provide that support system Wednesday, as center Roy Hibbert, forward Brandon Bass and guard Lou Williams were introduced to the media:

Hibbert comes to Los Angeles after seven seasons with the Indiana Pacers. Developing into one of the more solid centers in the game, an abysmal playoff performance in 2014 seemed to spell the end of Hibbert's days in Indiana. 

He was still able to respond by averaging a double-double last season with 15.0 points per game and 10.1 rebounds. Hibbert will add plenty of size and strength to the Lakers frontcourt and will be the newest big man in an organization that has had some of the best ever. They are also in contact with Hibbert, the center said in the press conference (via Los Angeles Lakers):

While Hibbert has a relationship with past Lakers, it probably wasn't so with Bass. The 6'9" power forward joins the Lakers from the rival Boston Celtics. 

In four years with Boston, Bass played the best basketball of his career, averaging 10.6 points per game and 5.5 rebounds. Even though he has been in the league for 10 years, Bass is still developing into a very consistent, well-rounded player as his offensive game is finally catching up to his defensive capabilities. 

He spoke of what he expects to bring to the Lakers during his introduction, per the Lakers' official Twitter account:

Moving away from the frontcourt, the Lakers nabbed a point guard who will add some stability to the position, whether it be as a starter or off the bench come the beginning of the 2015-16 season. 

In 2014-15, his 10th season in the NBA, Williams recorded a career-high 15.5 points on his way to earning the Sixth Man of the Year award in his lone year with the Toronto Raptors. 

But now he'll have to perform under the bright lights of Los Angeles, as he discussed the Laker mystique on Wednesday, according to the team's Twitter account:

Williams will join a point guard group that includes Russell and Jordan Clarkson but not much else.

He will find himself on the floor with one of Los Angeles' best players last season, Nick Young. But when it comes down to both of them being on the floor, Williams already knows their strategy, according to Lakers.com's Mike Trudell:

While it remains to be seen whether these two will coexist on the floor, the Lakers are bringing in the right talent to begin to make their way back up the Western Conference. 

Mitch Kupchak Considering Another Point Guard

Williams has made his career mostly as a bench player, though he has shown flashes of starting prowess. But the Lakers' point guard depth chart is not too deep. 

If the roster remains the same from now until the beginning of the 2015-16 season, it will just be the three mentioned before—Williams, Clarkson and Russell—who will be playing the 1 next year. 

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak seems to realize the depth problem and is mulling over his options, according to the Los Angeles Times' Eric Pincus:

The acquisition of Hibbert certainly fills the void of one true center, but Kupchak needs depth, and Los Angeles would have Robert Sacre and Tarik Black backing Hibbert up. The frontcourt, however, does not have the franchise's future star waiting in the wings.

That's why Kupchak has to go after another point guard. 

Jeremy Lin's departure forced the Lakers to hit the market and look for a replacement, hence the decision to bring in Williams, but another veteran presence who is capable of starting could be just what Los Angeles and Kupchak need. 

Williams' presence will help Russell's development, but there is only so much that a backup point guard can provide. Acquiring a floor general who can take the everyday stress of starting and using those experiences to pass down to Russell will be imperative.

They lost out on Ty Lawson, but his presence in the locker room with his recent troubles dominating headlines could have damaged Russell's development. Expect the Lakers to continue their aggressive offseason pursuits in the coming weeks. 

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.