Heading into last season, the summer acquisitions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash had the Purple and Gold perched atop the "on paper" power rankings (at least in the West) even though depth was a serious concern.
A year later the depth is there, but the star power is nowhere near as bright. Howard is gone, Nash looks his age, Pau Gasol is coming off his worst season in a decade and Kobe Bryant is rehabbing a devastating injury.
Let's dig deeper and see how this year's complete roster stacks up against last year's version at various positional groups beginning with the point guards, transitioning to the wings and finishing up with the big men.
Point Guards
The top two point guards on the depth chart are still held down by the two Steves—Nash and Blake, but their perceptions coming into this season are wildly different.
Nash arrived in L.A. to a lot of fanfare last season. He was fresh off an All-Star campaign and carried the aura of being ageless. It took less than two games to shatter that narrative, as a leg injury in the season's second contest sidelined Nash for nearly two months. He had his worst season since 2000, even after being reunited with coach Mike D'Antoni.
Steve Blake's season, meanwhile, trended in the opposite direction. He was terrible in his first two seasons in L.A., but turned it around last year, shooting a sizzling 42 percent from three-point range and competently running the offense in Nash's absence. Unfortunately, Blake battled injury issues of his own which limited him to just 45 games.
Going into 2014, Nash's stock has plummeted while faith has been restored in Blake. Their combined value is probably the same as it was on opening day last year, but because Nash is no longer one of the elite players at his position, the re...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
