Gilbert Arenas doesn’t solve what plagues the Lakers. But for a team without much to lose and everything to gain, why not take a chance? Okay, so Arenas’ Twitter feed has made a stronger impact than his game has in recent memory, and the Lakers really don’t know how much production they’ll get out of him, or if he’ll integrate nicely (or at all) into their system.
Arenas may be a better defensive option at the point guard position, but he’s not much of a distributor, and the shots he creates for himself aren’t great shots. The last thing the Lakers need is another guard to stall the offense. He’s not the same guy who put up 60 points at the Staples Center while a member of the Washington Wizards, but he’s not necessarily washed up either. Still, he’s a smidgen of the player he once was, and if 29 other teams aren’t foaming at the mouth to get him, there’s reason for it.
Despite all that, he does come on the cheap. The Lakers will likely only be able to offer him the veteran’s minimum, about $1.2 million, and they can always cut him if it doesn’t work out. It all just depends on the direction the Lakers want to take. Do they want to stay on the path they’re currently on, or shake up the roster before the trade deadline?
They could continue to develop Goudelock. The rookie was making a decent impact while he filled in for Steve Blake, but with Blake back in the rotation, he’ll slide back into more of a shooting guard role as opposed to ball handler. He can’t make any progress running the point if he doesn’t get enough practice or playing time in that role.
So much uncertainty surrounds the Lakers.
One thing, however, is for certain, time is running out for the Lakers. If the Lakers can stay healthy, they’ll have as good a shot as anyone in the playoffs. In order to advance in the playoffs, they’ll have to straighten out their offense, and correct their deficiencies. The more time they have to prepare with a new team member, or their current lineup, the better.
The Lakers can choose to take a chance on Arenas, move on as is, or move forward with Howard. Regardless of what they do, they can’t continue wasting precious time.
