Six Fantasy Moves I Would Make for the Lakers 2011-2012 Season

It seems as if there will be no season this upcoming fall. While there isn't much to talk about in today's NBA, all we can really do is speculate about teams and hope if we can see a season in November.

In Lakers nation, there was a lot of rumors going around that they were going to land Monta Ellis, Andre Iguodala, and even Kevin Love. While nothing really happened, we're beginning to wonder whether the Lakers actually are going to shake up the roster.

The only real big thing that has happened is Shannon Brown testing free agency. While I think it would be ideal for the Lakers and Shannon to reunite, we don't know what's going to happen given the lockout situation.

But if I were GM and in charge, I would have made certain moves before the draft, as well as making moves after it.

Note: Not all moves will be trades.

Develop Youngsters

The Lakers have solid, young talent, that if breaded right, they can turn into the future of Los Angeles. 

I've seen several articles on Darius Morris becoming the future point guard for L.A. Now, is it true? We'll have to wait and find out, but if Fisher is willing to help, his great advice can guide Morris into becoming a great starting point guard.

Devin Ebanks is also another player who seems to be headed in the right direction. He was compared to former Lakers member, Trevor Ariza, by his athleticism and length. Now if he can turn into a great player like Ariza, then the Lakers should lock in on him.

Trey Johnson is a great shooter. I wonder why he's not in a roster that could give him some true playing time because it seems as if he deserves it. The Lakers might not be the spot for him, because he'll basically be the 3rd shooting guard off the bench. However, if Brown doesn't sign back, Johnson could be a lucky guy.

Shannon Brown is by far the number one player that the Lakers should keep. He is explosive, he can shoot, and if he learns more about defending, he can be the complete player. He already can provide a spark with Lamar Odom off the bench, so why not try to get him back?

Get Rid of Steve Blake for a Good Backup Center

Steve Blake was not the point guard we thought he was going to be.

In his first game against Houston, he nailed a three-pointer that gave the Lakers their first win of the season. So people believed that he would become better than last year's backup point guard, Jordan Farmar.

Well, we thought wrong because after that it pretty much went downhill. Sure he had some okay games, but never looked as confident. Maybe he never was accustomed to the triangle offense.

Anyways, his career averages are as follows: 7.1 PPG, 4 APG, 2.1 RPG, 40% FG, and 39% 3PFG. He dropped in every category only scoring 4 PPG, 2 APG, 35% FG, and 37% 3PFG.

So, that's really hurting the Lakers in terms of scoring and passing. His best Lakers moment is probably shown above with that altercation happening against the Dallas Mavericks and Jason Terry. It showed him as a tough guy maybe causing intimidation. But the Lakers should already be intimidating given the fact that they are the best franchise in the history of the NBA.

I believe that the Lakers should swap Blake with either Ronny Turiaf, or sign and trade with Philadelphia 76ers Spencer Hawes. Turiaf is a great energy player who can rebound; Hawes is a great shooter and can also play solid offense. 

In the West, the Lakers should pursue Chuck Hayes and DJ Mbenga. Now acquiring Hayes is also a sign and trade, and this time the Lakers get a small center who can still defend and rebound but will be more of a pest if anything. And on Mbenga, hear me out, they get an energy, fan favorite center who can really defend if given the opportunity to play. Though he has to work a lot on his post and shooting game, you could easily see he was missing on the roster when Ratliff was out.

Retirement

This one's easy. They should let Ratliff and Smith retire already! I won't even count this as a fantasy move. There shouldn't be much explaining to do anyways, so moving on.

Trade Ron Artest Already, Throw in Luke Walton, Also

After not signing Ariza and acquiring Artest, you thought the Lakers were as crazy as Ron-Ron is. But then he came out and actually played pretty well for most of the season. He brought even more intimidation to the squad and was a key contributor for the Lakers championship run.

Now advance into next season. Ron is no longer that intimidating, he couldn't shoot, and wasn't playing defense like last year. He averaged a career low and was a headache to most fans and teammates. The starter of the infamous Pistons-Pacers brawl was now this guy who is turning a new leaf. Okay, it's cool and likeable to be a nice guy, but you should keep that off the court.

Now Metta World Peace, he is no longer seen as a bad guy, which I guess is good, but he showed he wasn't a true warrior on the court where it was really needed.

As for the world's most expensive towel boy, if they trade Ron, throw him into the deal. He's not going to play much anymore.

Let's say Lakers trade Blake to New York for Turiaf. Now the Lakers should be trading Artest and Walton to the 76ers for Hawes as a backup center because it makes ideal sense for the next slide.

Acquire Another Perimeter Threat

Boy, was I pulling for the Lakers to trade Lamar Odom to the 76ers for Andre. It would have been a great move for the Lakers but Odom's wife probably was more concerned about her show than her husband's future. 

It didn't happen, obviously, but who says they should stop? They should try as hard to get another threat who can slash, shoot, and defend. Iguodala presents that. He would take the load off Kobe Bryant and would probably become the Lakers leader in assists.

If it can't be Iguodala, another ideal threat could be Rudy Gay. Speculation said that he was on the market. If he still is, then the Lakers should capitalize on that and maybe trade Artest, Caracter, and maybe a couple of first round picks to get him. That's not giving up much for a great player.

Get a 3-Point Shooter Off of the Bench

This makes sense; a lot of sense. The deal is simple: Matt Barnes for Kyle Korver and some draft picks. The Lakers in return get a hard working 3-point shooter. Korver can really shoot. He'll be the second SF, maybe playing around 10 minutes a night.

Not only that, but the Bulls get a great hustle player in Barnes. He'll be behind Deng and could end up playing more as shooting guard as well.

Bring in Dwight Howard

Something every fan wishes for. I won't get too elaborate in details because you should already know what he would bring to the table.

But the deal is simple: Dwight Howard for Andrew Bynum and newly acquired center Spencer Hawes, Andrew Goudelock, and a couple of draft picks. Dwight won't really need a backup center, as he can practically play the whole game. But if he needs a rest, Gasol is right there.

Conclusion

So with the trades and developing I just mentioned, the Lakers should be in good condition for the next season... If there is one. Nonetheless this is just fantasizing so I appreciate your understanding.

The Lakers we gave up were:

Steve Blake
Ron Artest
Matt Barnes
Luke Walton
Lamar Odom
Andrew Bynum
Theo Ratiliff
Joe Smith
Derrick Caracter
Spencer Hawes

The final lineup should be:

Darrius Morris (PG)
Derek Fisher (2nd PG)
Kobe Bryant (SG)
Shannon Brown (2nd SG, Free Agent)
Trey Johnson (3rd SG)
Andre Iguodala (SF)
Kyle Korver (2nd SF)
Devin Ebanks (3rd SF)
Pau Gasol (PF)
Ronny Turiaf (2nd PF)
Dwight Howard (C)
Ater Mojak (2nd C)

Thanks for reading! Comment below to tell me what you think.