Los Angeles Lakers: Are Kobe Bryant and Company Screwed?

If you were to pose this question to 100 Laker fans on the streets of LA, you would probably get a "yes" 75 or more times. Such is life in Laker Land, where overreaction is the norm and us reasonable folk are tasked with talking the others off the ledge on a sometimes daily basis.

So, ARE the Lakers screwed?  

Absolutely not. Wait, what's that you say?  

But, but, but they traded away Lamar Odom for nothing!  

I know, I know, how are we ever going to replace his versatility?  

Look, I'm not going to discount Odom's contributions to the Lakers over the past seven seasons. He was without a doubt an integral part of everything the Lakers accomplished under Phil Jackson.

But you see, that's just it; there's a new sheriff in town, and a new regime is now in place. Change is inevitable in these situations, and sometimes we are forced to part ways with the ones we love.

And Odom was one of the ones us Lakers fans loved. I know it's hard, but it's time to move on my fellow fans. A new season, one filled with hope and promise, awaits.

Yes, we'll always have a soft spot in our hearts for Odom, one that the combination of Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy and Jason Kapono will never be able to fill—even if their combined salaries are less than what the Lakers were paying Odom.  

Looking back on the 2010-11 Lakers, what were the three biggest areas of concern during their second -round playoff series with the Mavericks (and most of the season for that matter)?

Lack of perimeter spot up shooters who can knock down threes on kick outs from the post

Kapono and Murphy were brought in to fill this role.Yes, I know Odom was our leading three-point shooter last year at 38.2 percent, but isn't this just more evidence in regards to this glaring team weakness? I'll remind you that Lamar was just 4-of-20 from three-point land during the playoffs, which includes an 0-for-4 line in the Dallas series. 

Meanwhile, Kapono led the league in three-point percentage in back-to-back seasons (2007/2008) and is a career 43.7 percent shooter. During the 2009 and 2010 NBA seasons, Murphy shot 691 threes and made 289 of them (41.8 percent). It's no secret that both players have dealt with injuries in 2011, but both are adamant about their health today, and the Lakers will be counting on them to prove it come Sunday.

Team Defense

I think we can reasonably assume that Odom will never be accused of being an elite defender, and I'm certainly not saying that any of his replacements will be either. That said, if there is one significant change you can count on under new head coach Mike Brown, it will involve a renewed commitment on the defensive end. Odom's offensive versatility will be missed, his defensive presence will not.

Point Guard Play

Well, we almost addressed this concern.

Bottom line?  We're talking about a 32-year-old man who has played 396 games over the past four seasons and is coming off the best year of his career. Would you be willing to bet that Odom is going to improve up on his 2011 effort this season? Mitch Kupchak certainly wasn't.

As long as Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are in purple and gold, this team is the opposite of screwed. And don't discount the impact of a healthy Matt Barnes and Steve Blake either. The Lakers were counting on both of those guys last year, but neither player was anywhere close to being 100 percent down the stretch.

We won't know exactly what to expect from McRoberts, Kapono and Murphy initially, but it goes without saying that the Lakers will expect contributions from all three in order to offset the loss of Odom.

Yes, point guard play will continue to be an issue until Commissioner Stern allows them to upgrade the position, and I think it's safe to say David owes us one in that respect.  

So step back off the ledge, Lakers fans. The sky may be cloudy in LA today, but it's not falling...yet.