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To say that Lakers guard, Steve Blake, struggled last year would be an understatement. Blake came in with much fanfare after being known as a hard-nosed defensive player with a penchant for making big shots, especially from behind the arc.
However, what started as a potential match made in heaven turned into a season from hell for Blake, who had career lows in points per game, field goal percentage and 3 point field goal percentage. So how would Blake describe his performance last year?
There were some times when I played really well and some down points as well so id like to be more consistent this year and be a little more involved. Just play better overall.”
Unfortunately for Laker fans, it seemed like there were more down points than good ones. Blake was brought in last season to give the Lakers quality depth in backcourt and there were even early rumblings that he would supplant Derek Fisher as the starter at some point last season. That obviously did not happen, as Fisher remained the starter and Blake seemingly saw his role decrease as the season went along. With a new coaching staff in place, Blake says that he is ready to play any role necessary to help the team win:
Whatever the case may be, im just going to play hard and whatever role they want to give me, whether its more minutes or not im just going to try to play better.”
Barring a trade, Blake will have a second opportunity to prove that he can be an integral part of the Lakers roster. Some experts attributed his struggles to “thinking too much” as he tried to learn the nuances of the triangle offense. Brown boasts a more traditional offensive system which should aid in Blake’s quest for redemption. Whether it is Blake or someone else, there’s no doubt that after losing Lamar Odom, the Lakers are going to have to have to find someone to provide quality production off of their bench.
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