Smart move indeed, because up to this point, the Lakers haven't shown the need to make major improvements on their roster in their quest to repeat as NBA champions.
Los Angeles arguably has the deepest roster in the entire league and are capable of substituting with talent at each blow of the whistle. If any more proof is needed, last night's win over the Golden State Warriors serves as a fine example.
For the fourth game in the row, the Lakers were able to defeat an opponent with relative ease minus the services of Kobe Bryant, and true to form, another Laker stepped up their efforts in his absence.
Starting in Bryant's place, Shannon Brown scored a career-high 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds and led a Laker charge, which witnessed all five starters reach double figures.
In another example of their incredible depth, Andrew Bynum returned from a hip injury to score 21 points and seven rebounds and illustrate why the Lakers are a dangerous team regardless of who is on the court.
Which makes it seem more and more likely that all the trade talk was pure speculation, and the multiple rumors were probably caused by people outside of the franchise's inner-circle.
Although an extra guard would have been nice to add, it would serve more as a luxury than a need since Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown, and Sasha Vujacic all have championship experience.
At times, the trio have faced issues, but they all have played a significant part in the team's recent success while Bryant has been sidelined, and they have used the extended time on the court to boost their confidence.
An extra body for the post was something else which may have been considered due to Pau Gasol's injuries ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
