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Will the Lakers deal for a point guard?

Lakers legend Magic Johnson echoed general manager Mitch Kupchak’s sentiment on the need for a trade to ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Arash Markazi on Tuesday.

"I think we have to," said Johnson, who was at a press conference announcing the naming rights for a proposed football stadium next to the Staples Center. "We have to do something. The Lakers are not responding and two things showed me that—the Miami HEAT Christmas game and then the Boston Celtics game [on Sunday]. When you don’t get up for your two biggest games during the season and you have flat performances, then you have to start looking at trade possibilities to improve your team and bring some energy to the team and bring some new life to the team.

"Unfortunately we’re looking old and we’re playing old," Johnson continued. "We’re not responding to the more athletic teams and the quicker teams. So we must change something. I think we have to now look at this team and maybe say we’re not good enough. Things might have to change."

What Johnson failed to mention is that the Lakers wouldn’t be having any of these problems were he still in purple and gold. That’s because the biggest issue with this year’s team is Johnson’s former position—point guard.

The Lakers have a positive Player Efficiency Rating differential at every position with the exception of point guard, according to 82games.com. In laymen’s terms, that means Los Angeles is being outplayed at only one position on the floor.

Now we all know that Phil Jackson’s triangle offense doesn’t need a true point guard in order to run smoothly (see: Harper, Ron), but that doesn’t mean the team can afford sloppy defense or poor shot selection from that position either. 

Oddly enough, point guards Derek Fisher, Steve Blake and Shannon Brown are all hitting around 39% from 3-point range, which is better than their career averages. The bigger issue (and this doesn’t apply to Brown) is 2-point accuracy. Blake is skirting by with a 37% clip within the arc while Fisher has made only 27% of his 2-point attempts.

The other major issue is that opposing point guards are hitting two 3-pointers a game (38.4% conversion rate), which ranks 28th in the entire NBA.

In fact, opposing point guards are racking up 9.6 APG (20th in the NBA) and 22 PPG (28th) while shooting a whopping 46.6% from the field (30th).

As Bill Ingram pointed out in the NBA at 2, Wizards president and GM Ernie Grunfeld isn’t enthusiastic about trading any of his veterans, such as point guard Kirk Hinrich. However, the Lakers have reportedly had interest in acquiring the former Kansas Jayhawk in years past. It will be interesting to see if they have the assets to make another run at Hinrich, who is generally considered a good decision maker, shooter and defender.  

All Daye

Ben Gordon went 7-for-11 from 3-point range against the Knicks on Sunday, but its Pistons second-year forward Austin Daye that could be this team’s marksman for years to come.

Daye has converted 42.4% of his 3-point attempts this season after making just 30.5% from range in his first year out of Gonzaga. He’s still not getting major minutes (17.3 MPG) or 3-point attempts (85 this season), yet his tall frame and quick release have made him a difficult defensive assignment on the perimeter.

"It’s something that I work on, but it’s something that kind of comes naturally—shooting the ball from deep range," Daye told HOOPSWORLD. "It definitely wasn’t something I stressed over the summer. It wasn’t something I stressed at all. It kind of just came within the flow of the game. Some of the shots that are open for me are 3-pointers. It’s just something you constantly work on."

Daye may not have increased his repetitions in the offseason, but it wasn’t until "the end of the summer" that he felt comfortable from NBA range.

"I think last year I didn’t shoot particularly well from there just because I wasn’t used to it," said Daye, who hit nearly 50% of his 3-point attempts as a sophomore at Gonzaga. "I progressed at it."

The progression reached it’s peak on Jan. 24 in the Pistons’ upset road win over the Magic. Daye hit all four of his 3-point attempts and added seven boards to finish with 20 points. Four days later Daye came back to hit three 3-pointers in 42 minutes as Miami edged Detroit by one point. His final trey in that game gave the Pistons an 87-86 lead with just over a minute left, but Daye eventually missed a would-be game winner as time expired.

What was particularly impressive about the two performances was that Daye really hit an entire buffet of 3-pointers. He hit 3-pointers from the corner, he took guys off the dribble. Daye even had the chance to beat the HEAT at the buzzer.

"Every 3-pointer is different," he said. "Of course there’s a measurement difference [in the corner] so it’s gonna feel a little bit different. [Against the Knicks on Sunday] I shot one from the corner thinking like it was from half court. It was an airball.

"There’s a difference in situations too," he continued. "At the end of the game some 3-pointers are a lot different than the ones at the beginning of the game. And if you have to take it off the dribble, you have to. I feel really comfortable shooting the ball after a pump fake or one last dribble, but a lot of threes come catch and shoot."

Of course, every NBA shot is seemingly easier when you stand 6-10. Daye weighs around 200 pounds, so he’s never really been a candidate to play down low. That’s why he’s often defended by much shorter opponents.

"Being taller definitely helps," Daye said. "It’s easier to make up that distance than if you’re 5-10. But I think defenders don’t really make a difference. It just matters how well they close out. If you’re seven foot or some 5-10 guy it doesn’t make any difference to me because I’m just looking at the rim."

The biggest development for Daye has been ironing out his form. He’s always been strong enough to get the ball to the hoop with ease, but maintaining a consistent pattern of motion, regardless of shot location, is what’s most important.

"It’s not just pure body strength, per se," he said. "I think it’s just the strength in your jump shot. When I shoot the ball it doesn’t look like I put a lot of effort into it. I think it’s just form and how fluid your shot is, having your wrist snap right.

"Great shooters have the ability to keep their form from deep range."

Coach of the Month

Chicago’s Tom Thibodeau and New Orleans coach Monty Williams have been named the Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Thibodeau’s Bulls have gone 12-4 this month—and 11-0 within the Central Division—despite being without center Joakim Noah, who is still recovering from a broken right hand. Noah could return soon after the All-Star break.

Williams’ Hornets also went 12-4 in January. New Orleans had a record 10-game winning streak during the month and led the NBA in second-chance points (9.71 per game). Perhaps their most impressive victory came on Jan. 22 when they upset the conference-leading Spurs, 75-71. 

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