Brace Hemmelgarn – USA Today Sports Images
The Los Angeles Lakers have a bleak outlook for the 2013-2014 NBA season. Obviously the biggest blow to the franchise came when they were unable to re-sign All-Star center Dwight Howard. They are also facing a restrictive salary cap situation and the unsure timetable for the return of their superstar Kobe Bryant.
There has been a lot of speculation about when Bryant will be able to return and what kind of player he will be when he comes back. However, perhaps we should talk about what the Lakers will be like if they are forced to spend part of the season playing without Kobe.
Obviously the team will be heavily centered on big man Pau Gasol if the situation were to arise. However, the real show on the floor in Los Angeles would come from their newly signed guard, Nick Young.
Swaggy P, as Young is often called, has been in the league for six years and has averaged 11.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and one assist in 23.1 minutes per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from long-range. Young is a gunner in the purest sense of the word in basketball terms. There are going to be games where you’re yelling at him to stop taking shots and other nights where you have no idea how he’s making all of the attempts he’s putting up.
In short, Young isn’t the greatest asset in the world, especially if he’s not being reigned in. In fact, he’s more than frustrating when he’s on your favorite team. However, if Kobe doesn’t play for any amount of time, he’s going to be jacking up shots like there’s no tomorrow; and it’s going to be glorious.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.
