L.A. Lakers: Are the 2012 NBA Finals out of the Lakers Reach?

It's hard to imagine the Los Angeles Lakers reaching the 2012 NBA Finals after their horrific performance against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2011 NBA Playoffs, but the core pieces are already in place for another deep postseason run.

Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom are all expected to return next season so it's not exactly like the former champs are starting from scratch.

The Lakers do have questions and issues they must address, and the most glaring are the point guard position and more importantly breaking in a new coach in Mike Brown who is assuming bench responsibilities from the retiring Phil Jackson.

The fact that the Lakers must adapt to a new system and a different style of coaching is a daunting task in itself, but the mountain grows higher when you consider the roster concerns the front office is facing.

Everyone knew that the point guard position was the Lakers biggest weakness entering this postseason, as it has been for most of Jackson's tenure, but this season the deficiency finally came back to bite the Lakers, hard.

Starting point guard Derek Fisher failed to find the magic that has defined his postseason career as a Laker, and once that was stripped away the truth about Fisher became painfully obvious.

If Fisher is not hitting clutch shots or providing key inspiration then each moment he is on the court Fisher hurts the team because he no longer possesses the quickness to defend as he once did.

The younger Fisher was a pest on defense and his quickness combined with incredible upper body strength made it extremely difficult to take him off the dribble.

Fisher is still one of the league's stronger point guards in the latter stages of his career, but the passage of time has eroded his quickness which makes him an instant liability in this age of faster than the speed of light point guards.

It was assumed that Steve Blake would be a competent backup to Fisher early in the 2010-11 regular season, and he would eventually slide into the starter's role once he became acclimated to the team.

But it never happened, and before the postseason started it was clear that Blake was not worth the 16 million dollar, four year contract the Lakers signed him to.

Blake was more steady and consistent than former Lakers point guard Jordan Farmar, but he didn't have the same quickness, athleticism or ability to swing momentum through sheer energy.

Of course Blake was known as a more reliable outside threat than Fisher or Farmar and early in the regular season he did do that reputation justice.

But not when it counted, and in hindsight Blake's lack of quickness and lateral mobility made him arguably a bigger defensive liability than even Fisher.

I'm sure Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak must be aware of how badly the team needs a reliable point guard, and if he doesn't end up chasing Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard as expected, then a strong push for an elite point guard is the next best thing.

After point guard the Lakers must decide how to handle forward Ron Artest, and a decision must be made on whether or not his poor postseason was an anomaly or a signal that his career may be coming to an end.

Artest played a pivotal role in the Lakers championship last season and his superior defense on Kevin Durant in the first round, and his timely baskets against Phoenix and Boston certainly earned him a place in the heart of many Lakers fans.

But having a soft spot for a player doesn't change the truth of the matter and if fans are ready to hand Fisher a pink slip after five championships and a few moments that are forever cemented in Lakers lore then Artest's dismal sophomore season as a Laker must make him an afterthought.

Some people seem to forget that Artest's first season as a Laker was mostly disappointing since he never could find a real groove on offense, and even though his defense was superb Artest could never quite grasp the triangle offense.

Well, in Artest's second season Tex Winter's triangle seemed to confuse him even more, and if possible his offense had become even more inconsistent.

Artest's scoring average and minutes played were the lowest of his career last season, and even if the Lakers were to seek a trade they may have to wait one season until Artest's then-expiring contract holds more value.

Until then the Lakers may be forced to play free agent-signee Matt Barnes a little more which isn't a bad thing because Barnes has shown the type of energy, tight defense and attitude that is expected of Artest.

I'm not sure if the Lakers can advance to the 2012 NBA Finals, but with a healthy Bynum, a motivated Bryant and a focused Gasol it would be foolish to think they can't.

Add one of the NBA's most versatile players in Odom into the mix and the 2011-12 NBA season looks a little more promising than it did when Dirk and the Mavericks pounded the Lakers into submission.

But even though the Lakers have the talent to reach the Finals next season they must first prove they are capable of answering the questions that serve as their Finals roadblocks.

A new coach is enough to create potholes in the road but when you add in the Lakers roster issues, then a temporary detour from the Finals would seem inevitable.

But then again, this is the Los Angeles Lakers.