As the Los Angeles Lakers attempt to finish the year strong enough to garner a playoff spot, position guard Steve Nash is hobbling to the finish line. The 39-year-old point guard endured a strain on March 28 and has yet to properly go back to the choice. Although it's not a personal injury that must keep him out consistently, it's not realistic to anticipate that the aging position guard will be 100 % when he does get back into the selection. It is been a rare occassion because of this Lakers group to play with a choice at full power. Nash has just played in 50 of the Lakers 75 games. Pau Gasol, Steve Blake and now Metta World Peace have all overlooked lengthy portions of the season. Now with eight games left and a half-game lead over the Utah Jazz for the place in the Western Conference playoffs, the Lakers need to find a way to get with a less-than-healthy Nash. Here's the way the Lakers can still draw it together and save a playoff appearance in 2013. Make Kobe the Company Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Spor With Nash out from the collection, it's Blake who logs the absolute most minutes at point guard. Nevertheless, it's Kobe that has to simply take the reigns whilst the team's major supplier. Kobe Bryant and company have never been associated, however the Lakers have been most successful when Bryant uses the eye he gets from opposing defenses to setup his teammates. As Mike Trudell points out, Bryant has stepped up to the plate within the last few two activities, dishing out 25 allows. Blake is just a ready point guard. He must be engaged in the crime, but Bryant ought to be running the show. Bryant is calculating 6.0 assists per game. That is a mark he's perhaps not reached because the 2004-05 season. He'll need certainly to keep consitently the ball going if the Lakers wish to shut out the growing season strong. Let Bob Blake Take Stephen Dunn/Getty Pictures Nash's part while the supplier can be changed by Kobe. His role since the team's three-point sniper needs to be changed by Blake. According to Trudell, Nash's 43.8 percent from beyond the arc is the 6th highest percentage in the group. Fortuitously for the Lakers, Blake isn't past an acceptable limit behind, to arrive at No. 11, capturing at 42.7 percent from range this season. Blake does not have to do too much within the offense. Many the variations need to be distributed among Bryant, Gasol and Dwight Howard. However, when the Lakers need a, they need to look to Blake on the kick-out. With Nash out of the collection, Blake becomes the go-to guy from the outside. Give Dwight Howard the Basketball Kevin D. Cox/Getty Images Irrespective of Nash's status, the Lakers must rely heavily on Howard to hold them into the playoffs. That is still Bryant's group, however they need to be dedicated to finding the ball to Howard in the article. A quick look into Howard's numbers in Lakers wins compared to those in failures reveals his value to the team. In on 12 field goal attempts 36 wins with Howard in the collection, the big guy has averaged 19.1 points per game. In 33 failures he has only averaged 14 points on seven field goal attempts. The big difference in details can be defined by just how many efforts Howard is getting. When Howard does not obtain the ball enough, the Lakers don't win. Whether it's Nash, Blake or Kobe running the offense, Howard must have the ball in his arms if the Lakers are to make the playoffs this year.
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