Analyzing the Los Angeles Lakers Bench

The Los Angeles Lakers have the best, or one of the best, starting lineups in all of basketball. They have the best player in the game, Kobe Bryant, and the best big man in the game with Pau Gasol. 

Artest provides the rugged defense and toughness. Fisher is the veteran and clutch shot maker that the team can count on when the games matter. Bynum rounds out the lineup, as he has proven to be a solid center with a very bright and promising future, if he stays healthy. 

With the starting lineup having so much success, the same thing can't be said for the Lakers bench unit. Within the last two years, Lakers fans cringed when the bench entered the game in relief for the starters. 

The starting lineup would build double digit leads and Laker fans would watch that number dwindle, the longer the bench unit stayed in the game. It was sad to see the Lakers have to fight back to either regain the lead or push away, all because the bench couldn't consistently produce. 

The sad part is that the Laker Bench hasn't always been bad. The year of the Pau Gasol trade, the Laker bench was one of the best in the league. At that time, the bench was like another starting lineup. They would either get LA back into the game if the starters performed poorly, or boost the score until the game was over. They were a very arrogant and cocky bunch, so much that they named themselves the "bench mob." 

With the starters logging heavy minutes these last two years, it would be nice for the 2010-2011 Laker bench to step it up this year. With the new additions, Laker fans are expecting much more consistency from their bench. Here is an analysis on each bench player's role and possible expectations for the upcoming season. 

Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom can play both small forward and power forward positions. He is used as the primary back up to Gasol, but they are usually paired up, as Gasol can slide to the Center position. 

Odom is one of the most versatile players in the league, but at this stage of his career, he won't be what everyone expects. He has all the tools and the talent to be a top player in this league, but he just doesn't have that mentality. 

I believe Odom understands that, and he has changed his mindset to become a better role player for the Lakers. Having him on the USA team will hopefully help Odom focus mainly on basketball during the offseason. Having a sharp Odom in the beginning of the season will only aid the Lakers' hopes of three-peating next season. 

Lamar is a fantastic rebounder and a decent playmaker, but his most important role on this squad is to provide insurance in case Bynum or Gasol suffer an injury. He's done an admirable job when Bynum's down, and has developed a nice connection with Gasol.

Whether Bynum has been injured or not, Odom usually ends the game at the PF spot, while Gasol slides to the Center position. This has proven to be effective against most teams, but teams that employ rugged centers like Boston or Denver, have proven to be quite troublesome for LA.

Having Bynum start will not only help Gasol, but the bench as well. LO is the definite leader of this bench squad, and the more consistent the performances we see from the Candy man, the better the Lakers team. 

Steve Blake

Steve Blake was a nice pickup for the Lakers. Mitch signed him to a bargain contract, and he will now be backing up Derek Fisher at the point. 

Steve is a great three point shooter and an underrated defender. He has decent size at 6'3" and can play some off guard if the Lakers decide to go small. He's a pass first point guard who doesn't turn the ball over a lot and that will definitely help the current turnover prone bench unit. 

Blake won't provide the flashiness that Farmar displayed occasionally, but the 30-year-old will provide much needed consistency. Similar to Fisher, Blake will be asked to knock down open shots (mostly three-pointers) and defend. He is a much more consistent three point shooter than anyone LA has on the roster (I know LA still has Sasha) and will defintely spread the floor for Kobe and Pau to operate. 

Shannon Brown

Shannon Brown is our energy role player. He can dunk with the best of them in the league and has proven to be an exceptional athlete. Brown has some potential, but I wonder if he will be able to improve if he stays with the current Laker squad. 

While Kobe Bryant is on the team, Brown won't get the minutes he needs to continue to improve. Like Farmar, Brown has been very inconsistent when coming off the bench. He has horrible shot selection at times, and can be very inconsistent on the defensive end.

The triangle isn't the best offense suited for Brown's skills, but he has made it work to the best of his abilities. At times during the season, Laker fans would see Brown doing the hustle plays and would get excited, but he just doesn't perform like that on a consistent basis. Brown must understand that his role is to bring energy. The occasional scoring outburst will go a long way to improving not only the consistency of his performances, but the overall bench unit as well. 

Matt Barnes

As a former enemy of not only Kobe Bryant but the whole Lakers squad, Barnes will now form an alliance with the defending champs. The past squabbles have been squashed, and LA is now hoping for Barnes to re-direct his anger towards their opponents. 

Matt Barnes will bring that toughness and defense intensity to the current Lakers squad. His role will be that of an enforcer, but he will be bringing that off the bench. With Miami bringing in Lebron James and resigning D-Wade, it will be tough for any team to match up against them. I believe LA has the best chance of slowing down Lebron and Wade with the defensive trio of Matt Barnes, Kobe Bryant, and Ron Artest. They're all great defenders and they will definitely make it harder for Lebron or Wade to have big scoring nights against LA. 

Barnes is also a decent three-point shooter when left open, and can provide insurance in case Artest falls down the stairs again. 

Sasha Vujacic

Sasha is supposedly a three-point specialist, but that title should no longer be introduced in the same sentence as his name. His touch from behind the arc is pretty much gone, and that's the main reason why he hasn't regained Phil's trust. I believe his "fiery defense" is completely overrated, but I do give Sasha credit for at least giving his all with the limited minutes he receives.

He doesn't play smart on both sides of the ball, but he gives you effort and that can't be ignored. The Lakers are pretty much set on trading Sasha, and I don't see him staying before the mid-season trade deadline of next season. Even if he does stay, Sasha will continue to have a limited role with the team. If his three-point touch returns from the dead, maybe Phil will give some extra minutes during the playoffs. 

Theo Ratliff

Theo Ratliff is most known for his shot blocking abilities, and will be a nice addition to the bench unit. He won't receive playing time unless an injury occurs, but Ratliff has already proven to be a productive player, even during the late stages of his career.

Ratliff is just a filler for now, but he's a perfect veteran to have at the end of your bench.  

Devin Ebanks (Rookie)

Ebanks is just a rookie, but man does this kid have potential. A lot of analysts believe that his skills, as well as his physical make-up, remind them of Ariza. 

Ebanks is about 6'9" and has long arms. He is a good defender and a decent ball handler. He has impressed LA during the summer league with his three-point shooting, and has now signed a contract with the Lakers. Ebanks won't get playing time with the Lakers this year, unless LA has serious injury woes. He won't be a star in this league, but he can eventually turn into a solid role player down the line, if he continues to improve his game. 

On a side note, the Lakers will have fun with Ebanks, as they haven't had a chance to torment a rookie since Crittenton was on the team. 

Derrick Caracter (Rookie)

Caracter was also a second round pick of the Lakers in the 2010 NBA draft. During the summer league, he also impressed the Lakers with his low post moves and shot blocking. He has the frame of a player like Glen "Big Baby" Davis, and can eventually turn into a good role player. 

Unlike Ebanks, I believe Caracter is a much more polished player, but I don't see him receiving minutes on this current Lakers squad. The Lakers have too many skilled bigs for Caracter to receive any playing time, unless several injuries occur. 

He's a nice talent for the Lakers to have on their bench, and hopefully Caracter can stay trouble free off the court. 

Luke Walton

Luke used to be a key part of this team a couple of years ago, but the emergence of Ariza and the acquisition of Artest has left him the odd man out in the rotation. The Lakers are paying him like a top contributor coming off the bench, but with the glutton of talent at SF and his recurring back injuries, it has put Walton's basketball career on hold. 

Phil loves to play Walton because of his smarts and passing ability, but there just isn't enough minutes to go around on this squad. Before LA can even think about giving him minutes or trading him, his injuries have to heal up.

A back injury continues to bother Luke, and there are rumors about him retiring because it won't heal. Luke's playing career is in jeopardy, but he could always venture into coaching. I believe he would be a great coach in this league, and Phil Jackson is proof that you can have much more success as a coach than as a player.