Return of the Machine: Can Sasha Vujacic Play a Vital Role for the Lakers?

Many observers who follow the Los Angeles Lakers probably thought last season would be guard Sasha Vujacic's last with the team. That feeling only increased in the face of a very active Lakers' offseason.

The defending NBA champion Lakers bolstered their roster with the acquisitions of Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, and Theo Ratliff, so it only seemed like a matter of time before Vujacic was spirited away.

Vujacic's expiring contract made him an attractive bargaining chip in any potential Laker trades. But after the dust has mostly settled, Vujacic is digging in for what may be his final season in purple and gold.

The player formerly known as "the machine" is forced to face the prospects of starting the season stuck near the end of the Laker's bench. Not exactly the ideal situation for enticing any potential future suitors.

Vujacic will struggle to garner significant minutes behind Blake and Shannon Brown, and if that's not bad enough, Vujacic still must regain some of the lost trust of head coach Phil Jackson.

Vujacic was recently a valued member of the Lakers' reserves corp, but inconsistency on defense and the inability to find the range on his jump shot made Jackson's decision to increase the more athletic Brown's minutes easier.

Relegated to mop up duty, Vujacic found minutes even harder to come by during last year's playoffs. But when he was presented with an opportunity to make an impact in the Finals, Vujacic responded by hitting two huge free throws in Game Seven.

Is there any chance Vujacic can build on that success and become an important piece for the Lakers in their quest for a three-peat?

Vujacic will be entering his 7th NBA season and at 6'7" he offers the Lakers great size in the back court. He is also a good enough ball-handler to provide some relief at the point guard position.

Vujacic's best professional season was 2007-08 when he averaged 8.8 points per game, shot 45 percent from the field, 43 percent from three point range, and played in a career-high 17.8 minutes per game.

His downward spiral began the very next year when the disappearance of his shot and his unreliability on the defensive end culminated in a career worst 2.8 points per game.

In all honesty, Vujacic is more fundamentally sound than Brown, the mechanics on his jump shot are just as good as Blake's, and his size trumps that of either player.

But in order for Vujacic to see any significant playing time next season he must regain his lost confidence on offense and approach the defensive end with the same intensity and focus from seasons past.

Vujacic had earned a reputation as one of the peskier defenders in the NBA. Although he still has the same energetic approach, much of the discipline he displayed has vanished.

For someone who used an opponent's emotions to his advantage, Vujacic found himself on the opposite end of that dynamic, as illustrated in the Lakers' six game triumph against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals.

A cheap forearm shot from Vujacic changed the momentum of Game Six, which the Lakers were leading handily. What could have been a potential blow-out turned into a nail-biter instead.

The Lakers were lucky to pull that game out since mistakes are taken a little easier in the wake of a series win, but it certainly didn't help his chances going forward.

The fact that Jackson took a chance on Vujacic in the closing minutes of Game Seven of the Finals was surprising, but the calm manner in which Vujacic approached the situation was revealing.

Vujacic came in cold off the bench and sank the two biggest free throws of his life without a sign of fear and displayed the same type of unflappable confidence that once made him a favorite among fans.

Lakers' fans had grown so accustomed to groaning whenever Vujacic shot the ball that it was easy to forget there was a time when some thought every shot he took would fall.

I'm not sure Vujacic can re-capture any of his former magic, but considering this is the final year of his contract, fans should expect to see a re-invigorated version of Vujacic next season.

At some point Vujacic will be called on to help the Lakers due to injuries or other situations, and all though his fate as a Laker may be sealed, his performance could decide how the rest of his future plays out.