LOS ANGELES, Dec. 31 (UPI) — Andrew Bynum returned from a four-game suspension to score 29 points and grab 13 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 92-89 win over Denver Saturday.

Bynum also sank the eventual game-winning shot.

Kobe Bryant added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who won their third straight following 0-2 start to the season. Pau Gasol contributed 17 points for the winners.

The Nuggets had a chance to tie the score with 1.9 seconds left but Danilo Gallinari missed a layup.

Andre Miller, Nene and Arron Afflalo each netted 13 for Denver.

LOS ANGELES (AP)

Andrew Bynum provided the Los Angeles Lakers with a powerful performance in his season debut, following a four-game suspension that carried over from the playoffs.

It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes.

Bynum scored 29 points on 13 for 18 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the Lakers to a 92-89 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. The 7-foot center played 31 1/2 grueling minutes, helping the Lakers win their third straight following their first 0-2 start since 2002-03.

”They were looking for me a lot. I was a focal point early in the offense, so I knew the quicker I got down the court, the better it was,” said Bynum, who made four of his first five shots and finished the first quarter with 10 points. ”I was winded like crazy. I couldn’t breathe in the first six minutes. Defensively, getting back and all those things require me to be in better condition. So it’s going to take a little while.”

Bynum was suspended without pay for the first four games because of a flagrant foul against Dallas’ J.J. Barea in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals. The original ban was five games, but was reduced on Dec. 23 as a result of a shortened schedule caused by the lockout.

”I really didn’t have the highest expectations,” said the seven-year veteran, who totaled 41 points and 23 rebounds in two preseason games against the Clippers. ”I just wanted to come out and be aggressive. I wanted to get it down low, and when I got it, I made shots.”

Bryant, bogged down by foul trouble, had 17 points along with nine assists and 10 rebounds. The Lakers overcame 2-for-24 shooting from 3-point range.

Reserve forward Al Harrington had 21 points for the Nuggets, who have lost 25 of their last 29 road games against the Lakers.

”The game of basketball treats you badly sometimes,” Denver coach George Karl said. ”No one feels very good right now. They hurt us rebounding the ball and they hurt us with Bynum’s power underneath the basket. They’ve very good at playing an aggressive style of disrupting you, with guys coming at you on pick-and-rolls.”

The Lakers missed their first 12 shots from 3-point range – all in the first half – before Matt Barnes connected with 11:11 left in the third to put Los Angeles ahead 49-47. The Nuggets weren’t much better from behind the arc, missing nine of their first 10 before finishing up 7 for 26.

Trailing 71-69 after three quarters, the Lakers tied it four times before Harrington’s 3-pointer gave Denver an 85-80 lead with 5:29 to play. Bynum guided in a pass above the rim from Bryant and converted the ensuing free throw to narrow the gap to 89-87 with 3:23 left.

Fisher, who fouled out with six points in his 500th consecutive game, missed a 3-point shot trying to beat the 24-second clock – but hustled all the way to the other side of the court to fall on the loose ball and managed to get a timeout with 2:29 remaining and the Lakers still down by two.

”I haven’t seen it on tape yet, and I’m sure it doesn’t look very graceful. But I’m glad it helped us get a win,” the 37-year-old Fisher said with a chuckle. ”You see a ball free and you go for it, especially at that time of the game. To make hustle plays and do the little things, that’s the team that we’re becoming – a team that can figure out a way to grind out wins.

”Once I saw the ball bounce long (Ty) Lawson and I were kind of bumping into each other shoulder-to-shoulder and I started to lose my balance,” Fisher explained. ”So it was somewhat surprising that I was still able to figure out a way to find the basketball as I was stumbling and regain control before going out of bounds.”

Bryant tied it 89-all with a pair of free throws, and Bynum blocked a layup by Nene with 2 minutes left before converting a layup at the other end for a 91-89 lead with 1:50 to go.

The Nuggets had a few opportunities to pull it out. But Gasol blocked a layup by Lawson, who missed two free throws the next time the Nuggets had possession. Danilo Gallinari had a chance to tie it, but blew an easy fast-break layup with Steve Blake on his heels after Bryant missed a jumper at the other end.

”We get three layups and a couple of free throws in the last three minutes, and we miss all of them,” Karl lamented. ”Our offensive confidence is a little short right now.”

Fisher’s consecutive-game streak is the longest among active NBA players. Former Lakers forward A.C. Green, a teammate of Fisher’s during the 1999-00 season, holds the league record with 1,192 in a row.

`That’s what’s so amazing about what he was able to accomplish – especially as a big guy out there banging with the best of them,” Fisher said. ”For him to be able to have done what it took mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically to be prepared to go to work every single day for all those seasons was a big-time example for me.

”It’s not like I’m chasing any type of number, but I just try to bring the same mentality to work, whether it’s 500 or 1,000. I’m nowhere close to his streak, but I still take great pride in coming to work every day. Those experiences with him were great. We talked a lot and I learned a lot from him.”

Bryant, who averaged 27.8 points through the first four games despite playing with a torn ligament in his right wrist, missed his first three shots and played more than 14 scoreless minutes before ending the drought on a floater that put the Lakers ahead 38-36 with 3:40 left in the second quarter.

Notes: The Lakers have played six times on New Year’s Eve since coming to Los Angeles – all at home (5-1). Their rematch with the Nuggets on Sunday night will mark the first time the Lakers have played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in the same season since 1959-60, when the franchise was based in Minneapolis. … Bryant needs four points to become the sixth player in history to reach 28,000.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andrew Bynum had 29 points and 13 rebounds in his season debut following a four-game suspension that carried over from the playoffs, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 92-89 Saturday.

Bynum shot 13 for 18, helping the Lakers win their third straight following the team’s first 0-2 start since 2002-03.

The 7-foot center was suspended without pay for the first four games of the season because of a flagrant foul against Dallas’ J.J. Barea in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals. The original ban was five games, but was reduced on Dec. 23 as a result of a shortened schedule caused by the NBA lockout.

Bynum totaled 41 points and 23 rebounds in two preseason games against the Clippers.

Kobe Bryant, bogged down by foul trouble, had 17 points along with nine assists and 10 rebounds. The Lakers overcame 2-for-24 shooting from 3-point range.

Reserve forward Al Harrington had 21 points for the Nuggets, who have lost 25 of their last 29 road games against the Lakers.

The Lakers missed their first 12 shots from 3-point range — all of them in the first half — before Matt Barnes connected with 11:11 left in the third to put Los Angeles ahead 49-47. The Nuggets weren’t much better from behind the arc, missing nine of their first 10 before finishing up 7 for 26.

Trailing 71-69 after three quarters, the Lakers tied it four times before Harrington’s 3-pointer gave Denver an 85-80 lead with 5:29 to play. Bynum guided in a pass above the rim from Bryant and converted the ensuing free throw to narrow the gap to 89-87 with 3:23 left.

Derek Fisher, who fouled out with six points in his 500th consecutive game, missed a 3-point shot trying to beat the 24-second clock — but hustled all the way to the other side of the court to fall on the loose ball and get a timeout with 2:29 remaining and the Lakers still down by two.

Bryant tied it 89-all with a pair of free throws and Bynum blocked a layup by Nene with 2 minutes left before converting a layup at the other end for a 91-89 lead with 1:50 to go.

The Nuggets had a few opportunities to pull it out. But Gasol blocked a layup by Ty Lawson, who then missed two free throws the next time the Nuggets had possession. Danilo Gallinari had a chance to tie it, but blew an easy fast-break layup after a missed jumper by Bryant at the other end.

Bynum made four of his first five shots and finished the first quarter with 10 points. Bryant, who averaged 27.8 points through the first four games despite playing with a torn ligament in his right wrist, missed his first three shots and played more than 14 scoreless minutes before ending the drought on a floater that put the Lakers ahead 38-36 with 3:40 left in the second quarter.

Notes: The Lakers have played six times on New Year’s Eve since coming to Los Angeles — all at home (5-1). Their rematch with the Nuggets on Sunday night will mark the first time the Lakers have played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in the same season since 1959-60, when the franchise was based in Minneapolis. … Bryant needs four points to become the sixth player in history to surpass 28,000. … Fisher’s consecutive-game streak is the NBA’s longest active streak. Former Lakers forward A.C. Green, a teammate of Fisher’s during the 1999-00 season, holds the league record with 1,192 in a row. “That’s what’s so amazing about what he was able to accomplish — especially as a big guy out there banging with the best of them,” the 37-year-old Fisher said. “For him to be able to have done what it took mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically to be prepared to go to work every single day for all those seasons was a big-time example for me. It’s not like I’m chasing any type of number, but I just try to bring the same mentality to work, whether it’s 500 or 1,000.”

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Bynum scored 29 points on 13 for 18 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the Lakers to a 92-89 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. The 7-foot center played 31 1/2 grueling minutes, helping the Lakers win their third straight following their first 0-2 start since 2002-03.

“They were looking for me a lot. I was a focal point early in the offense, so I knew the quicker I got down the court, the better it was,” said Bynum, who made four of his first five shots and finished the first quarter with 10 points. “I was winded like crazy. I couldn’t breathe in the first six minutes. Defensively, getting back and all those things require me to be in better condition. So it’s going to take a little while.”

Bynum was suspended without pay for the first four games because of a flagrant foul against Dallas’ J.J. Barea in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals. The original ban was five games, but was reduced on Dec. 23 as a result of a shortened schedule caused by the lockout.

“I really didn’t have the highest expectations,” said the seven-year veteran, who totaled 41 points and 23 rebounds in two preseason games against the Clippers. “I just wanted to come out and be aggressive. I wanted to get it down low, and when I got it, I made shots.”

Bryant, bogged down by foul trouble, had 17 points along with nine assists and 10 rebounds. The Lakers overcame 2-for-24 shooting from 3-point range.

Reserve forward Al Harrington had 21 points for the Nuggets, who have lost 25 of their last 29 road games against the Lakers.

“The game of basketball treats you badly sometimes,” Denver coach George Karl said. “No one feels very good right now. They hurt us rebounding the ball and they hurt us with Bynum’s power underneath the basket. They’ve very good at playing an aggressive style of disrupting you, with guys coming at you on pick-and-rolls.”

The Lakers missed their first 12 shots from 3-point range — all in the first half — before Matt Barnes connected with 11:11 left in the third to put Los Angeles ahead 49-47. The Nuggets weren’t much better from behind the arc, missing nine of their first 10 before finishing up 7 for 26.

Trailing 71-69 after three quarters, the Lakers tied it four times before Harrington’s 3-pointer gave Denver an 85-80 lead with 5:29 to play. Bynum guided in a pass above the rim from Bryant and converted the ensuing free throw to narrow the gap to 89-87 with 3:23 left.

Fisher, who fouled out with six points in his 500th consecutive game, missed a 3-point shot trying to beat the 24-second clock — but hustled all the way to the other side of the court to fall on the loose ball and managed to get a timeout with 2:29 remaining and the Lakers still down by two.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30 (UPI) — Kobe Bryant paced Los Angeles with 28 points in 33 minutes Thursday, bringing the Lakers a 99-82 win over New York.

Los Angeles played on four of the first five days of the NBA season and split those games. New York has lost two out of three to start the campaign.

The Lakers owned a 10-point lead to begin the fourth period and then held the Knicks to four points during the first half of the final quarter.

Pau Gasol added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles, which shot 52 percent from the field and converted nine of its 16 3-point attempts. Steve Blake contributed 11 points off the bench.

Carmelo Anthony had 27 points and seven rebounds for the Knicks.

The Los Angeles Lakers are chum in the ocean, and the 29 other NBA teams are sharks swimming around the proverbial waters of the Staples Center.

Now more vulnerable than ever, the Lakers find themselves with large targets on their backs as a myriad of questions surround the 2011-2012 team.

A new coach, new players, and aging veterans all leave observers wondering just what will become of this team. Given the Clippers new acquisitions, they now have worthy opponent in the competition for best team in Los Angeles.

The doubts and questions are many. Can the team implement a new system in the lockout-shortened season in time to contend for the title? Will Kobe Bryant and other players north of age 30 dodge the effects of injuries and Father Time? Finally and most importantly, does the team have the talent to compete among the elite teams in the Western Conference?

The time has come to address the uncertainty. In a shortened, 66-game season, the answers will come quickly. There is no time for the Lakers to turn the “switch” on and off to conserve energy and prepare for the playoffs.

This year, they need to focus in order to make the playoffs.

Against the Chicago Bulls on Christmas Day, they showed their age and ran out of gas in the late 4th quarter. The loss in Sacramento the following night was embarrassing and was cause for concern among Lakers faithful. The win against Utah on Tuesday night could help to ease the pain, but the long-term sustainability of any real success is what this team has to demonstrate.

The concerns are justified. Though NBA basketball has its ebbs and flows, the Lakers have a shorter margin for error given the difficult offseason they have had.

Losing Chris Paul for what appeared to be political reasons was devastating and ended up costing them valuable pieces to a team that was among the league ‘ s elite last season. Without the 2010-2011 Sixth Man of the Year, Lamar Odom, the Lakers have joined the masses of NBA mediocrity in terms of talent.

Will there be an intangible that gets them past the point of being just another good team?

It ‘ s getting to be too late in the career of Bryant to ask him to carry a team on his own, though if anyone can silence critics with his play, it is number 24.

How they respond this season will define the team in years to come and perhaps even Mike Brown ‘ s legacy as a head coach. It will take longer than just one short season to answer these questions. But there is a lot left to learn about which direction this team will ultimately go in 2012.

Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Sports and a southern California native, following all developments and news related to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Follow Michael on Twitter: @MJisyourhomeboy

Source:

NBA.com

More from Michael C. Jones:

5 Keys to Los Angeles Lakers Success in 2012

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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 28 (UPI) — Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and Pau Gasol added 22 to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 96-71 win over Utah Tuesday.

The win was the first of the season for the Lakers, who lost their first two games, and the first for new head Coach Mike Brown.

Bryant hit three of his five shots from 3-point range. Metta World Peace scored 14 points and Troy Murphy didn’t score, but he led Los Angeles with 11 rebounds.

Paul Millsap led Utah with 18 points and eight rebounds. The game was the first of the season for the Jazz.

Utah shot 32 percent from the field and did not score 20 points in any quarter until they tallied 25 in the fourth. They were outscored 30-15 in the third quarter.

On Sunday, Dec. 25, the Los Angeles Lakers opened the 2011/2012 season with an 88-87 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Derrick Rose hit the game-winning shot with 4.8 seconds left in the game.

Here are three thoughts on the game:

It wasn’t pretty

If fans thought they were tuning in to watch high-quality basketball, then I’m sure many people were left highly disappointed. Both teams were extremely sloppy with the ball, especially in the first quarter. Later in the game, the Bulls actually went through a stretch in the second half where they shot for less than 20 percent from the floor. The Lakers also struggled offensively, especially when Kobe Bryant was on the bench in the second quarter. The NBA sold this game to the fans as a Christmas Day special, and it probably would have been if it was broadcast during a normal 82-game season. However, despite a thrilling end to the game, sometimes it was brutal to watch.

Free throw woes

Derrick Rose may have hit the game-winning shot, but the Lakers missed four straight free throws with the game still in the balanmce late in the fourth quarter. Pau Gasol missed two of those shots, despite being a strong free throw shooter throughout his career. Overall, the Lakers were 11 of 20 from the line in the game. That’s not good enough to beat a team as strong as the Bulls, especially with Andrew Bynum out of the lineup. I expect more out of a club that has won two out of the last three NBA titles.

The Lakers bench surprised me

Steve Blake scored 12 points off the bench for the Lakers, while new addition Troy Murphy had seven points and eight rebounds. Even rookie Andrew Goudelock got in on the action with two crucial three-pointers. The Lakers were thought to have a weaker bench this season with Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown gone, but if these players keep giving an effort like they did against the Bulls, the team will be fine.

Overall, it was a heart-breaking loss for the Lakers, but there’s no rest for the weary. Hopefully, the team picks up its first victory of the season on Monday night at the Sacramento Kings.

Derek Ciapala has been a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers since childhood. His favorite Lakers’ moment is when they beat the Detroit Pistons 108-105 in Game 7 of the 1988 NBA Finals. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

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A bizarre offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers has left many unsure what to
expect from one of the NBA’s most storied franchises.

Expectations couldn’t get much higher for reigning MVP Derrick Rose and the
Chicago Bulls despite not much of an offseason stir.

It appears a banged-up Kobe Bryant will play in the season opener as the
Lakers host Rose and the Bulls in a much-anticipated Christmas Day matchup.

After failing to work out a trade for Orlando’s Dwight Howard and seeing its
deal for star point guard Chris Paul – who ultimately landed with the crosstown
Clippers – rejected by the league, Los Angeles enters the season with plenty of
uncertainty.

Former coach and 11-time champion Phil Jackson’s retirement will certainly
take time getting used to, and sending Lamar Odom – a key member of the 2008-09
and 2009-10 title teams – to Dallas for a 2012 first-round pick only fueled the
frenzy surrounding the Lakers.

“I’ve never quite seen something like this unfold,” said Bryant, who expects
to play despite recently tearing a ligament in his right wrist. “Phil (Jackson)
called it years ago. It’s kind of become somewhat of a mess, but I think
everybody is glad that it’s behind them and everybody can move and just talk
about the teams and the season.”

Despite going 57-25 last season to claim a fourth consecutive Pacific
Division crown, the Lakers were ultimately swept by the Mavericks in last
season’s conference semifinals.

Though it was rumored four-time All-Star Pau Gasol was upset about being
part of the Paul deal that fell through, his presence along with that of Bryant
still makes a 17th ring for the Lakers a possibility. However, getting
accustomed to new coach Mike Brown’s system will be a big adjustment as well.

“It’s going to be different, but we still have a lot of talent,” Gasol said.
“We can still have a great season.”

So can Chicago, which likes its chances of contending for a title behind
Rose.

Averaging 25.0 points and 7.7 assists to become the youngest MVP in league
history, Rose – who recently turned 23 – led the Bulls to a league-best 62-20
record in 2010-11 before they fell to Miami in the conference finals.

Chicago hardly changed the roster, with the notable exception of Richard
Hamilton’s addition, and the strong returning corps of Rose, Joakim Noah, Carlos
Boozer and Luol Deng has Bulls fans excited about what lies ahead.

“Our goal is to win a championship, and I think that we have a decent shot
with the guys that we have coming back,” said Rose, fresh off signing a
five-year, $94.8 million extension. “I have a lot of belief in my teammates, and
I know that they have a lot of belief in me and a lot of confidence in me as a
player. That’s all we need.”

Chicago stands to greatly benefit from the acquisition of Hamilton, who
signed a three-year, $15 million deal after being bought out by Detroit. The
12-year veteran has averaged 17.7 points for his career and figures to provide
the Bulls with a consistent scoring threat at shooting guard, something they
clearly lacked last season.

“They were already a great team before me, and I felt it was an opportunity
where I could help,” Hamilton said.

While Chicago will undoubtedly lean on Rose, having Noah and Boozer stay
healthy and contribute consistently also will be key. They missed a combined 57
games last season, and Chicago went 24-5 with both big men in the lineup.

“I felt like we had the team – we still do – to win the whole thing,” said
Deng, who averaged 17.4 points last season. “But going into this year, we’ve got
to focus on us – what we’ve learned from it and how we can get better. We can’t
just focus on one team. There are a lot of good teams in the East, but we’ve
just got to focus on where we’ve got to get better and what we’ve got to do this
year.”

Noah and Boozer won’t have to worry about defending Lakers center Andrew
Bynum, who will begin serving what is now a four-game suspension for making
unnecessary and excessive contact with Dallas’ J.J. Barea in the playoffs.
Bynum’s punishment was reduced by one game due to the shortened season.

His absence surely won’t make things easier on Brown, who planned to move
Metta World Peace to the bench this season but could start the former Ron Artest
while Bynum is out.

“I’m going into the season knowing that this is my team, and I’m happy about
it,” Brown said. “I’m going to coach this team right here, and I’ll let the
perceptions swell. At the end of the season, we’ll see how it all shook out.”

The Lakers had taken seven straight meetings in this series before losing
the most recent one, 88-84 in Chicago last Dec. 10.

Read More: Matt Barnes (F – LAL), Devin Ebanks (F – LAL), Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a tumultuous last few weeks, but the team gained some sense of stability on Friday as head coach Mike Brown named Devin Ebanks the starter at small forward. Ebanks, a second year wing out of West Virginia, was in a close battle with Matt Barnes for the starting spot in practice and eventually won out with the season opener less than two days away. Here is the story from Andy Kamenetzky:

Brown opted to go with Ebanks, despite the forward’s lack of NBA experience. As a rookie in the 2010-11 season, Ebanks averaged just 5.9 minutes and 3.1 points per game and appeared in only 20 contests before suffering a season-ending stress fracture on his left tibia in March.

However, Ebanks’ improvement was immediately evident during a strong training camp, and he scored eight points in less than 13 minutes on Wednesday during the Lakers’ second preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

“I learned about it today after practice,” said Ebanks. “I’m just ready to go out there and play now.” Brown thought Ebanks “did a nice job.”

There are players around the league the Lakers would rather have than Ebanks, but it may do the team some good to get some fresh legs on the court. LA has aged in recent seasons and Ebanks may be able to provide a nice spark, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

For more on the Lakers, head on over to Silver Screen and Roll.

Who says four is better than five? Andrew Bynum and the Los Angeles Lakers do.

Heading into the season, Bynum was facing a five-game suspension after violently venting on Dallas Mavericks point guard J.J. Barea during the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Bynum leveled Barea in frustration, was immediately ejected from the game and responded by giving the crowd a strip tease as he walked off of the court.

Shortly after the game ended and the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs, the NBA and commissioner David Stern handed Bynum a five-game suspension that was to be served at the beginning of the 2011-2012 regular season.

Although the Lakers were preparing for five games without their inconsistently dominant center, they received an early Christmas present on Friday, Dec. 23, courtesy of the NBA offices.

Citing the shortened NBA season, the league has decided to reduce Bynum’s suspension to four games as the regular season continues to draw closer. With only 66 games with which to prove that they are worthy of another trip to the playoffs, the Lakers will need every game they can get out of Bynum.

Due to his suspension, Bynum will miss the Lakers’ Christmas Day opening game against the Chicago Bulls as well as their matchups against the Sacrament Kings and Utah Jazz the next two days. Apart from their back-to-back-to-back, the only other game Bynum will now miss is the Lakers’ Dec. 29 showdown with the New York Knicks. Considering that those games include matchups against centers Joakim Noah, DeMarcus Cousins and Tyson Chandler, the Lakers couldn’t have Bynum back soon enough.

The first game he will be able to participate in is when the Lakers host the Denver Nuggets on New Year’s Eve.

While Bynum is serving his suspension, the Lakers will count on fellow big man Pau Gasol to take possession of the center role while recently-acquired players Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy temporarily share the power forward duties.

The Lakers will need Bynum back in the mix as soon as possible if they hope to develop some sort of chemistry among this rebuilt roster. If he can maintain the energy that he displayed during the Lakers’ second preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers (26 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks), head coach Mike Brown will have plenty of uses for him when he returns to the lineup.

What do you know? Sometimes less is better.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native who was born into a family of diehard Lakers fans. For more Lakers coverage, follow him on Twitter.

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Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers added veteran point guard Steve Blake to the roster in hopes of bolstering their three-point shooting.

To the Lakers’ dismay, their plan didn’t yield the expected results.

After playing in all but three of the Lakers’ 82 games during the 2010-2011 season, Blake only managed a three-point percentage of 37.8 (73 of 193). Although it was one of the better percentages from a Laker that season, it wasn’t what they were hoping to get from the seasoned triggerman. When all was said and done, the Lakers had finished the regular season with a disappointing 34.6 shooting percentage from beyond the arch (17^th in the NBA), and with little help from Blake.

Before signing with the Lakers, Blake turned in season percentages of over 40 in two of the previous three years (the third season was 39.5 percent). Once the 2010-2011 season was over and only 37.8 percent of his long shots had found the bottom of the net, it’s safe to say that there was some displeasure with his performance.

Through the Lakers’ first two preseason games of the 2011-2012 season, Blake has looked much better from long range. Not only has he connected on six of his ten shots from deep, but his 20-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday proved that he still has the ability to be a scorer.

It’s a bit irrational to think that Blake would maintain anything near the 60 percent three-point shooting that he’s had this preseason. However, there’s a definite possibility that he can rebound from last year’s unimpressive showing and provide a spark for the Lakers’ offense.

Especially with the aging Derek Fisher expected to see less playing time as the Lakers’ starting point guard, Blake has a terrific opportunity to prove that he can be the signal-caller on offense. In order to do that, he will need to show some consistency from beyond the arch as well as the ability to stick with younger, quicker point guards on defense.

Once the NBA Lockout ended, the Lakers went out in search of a three-point ace who could help elevate the less-than-impressive outside shooting numbers from their previous campaign.

This preseason, the Lakers went out and signed veteran shooting guard Jason Kapono in hopes of alleviating some of pain that the team felt from beyond the arch last season. Although it’s hard to deny that Kapono is a threat from three-point land, he doesn’t offer much else beyond that which makes him nothing more than a situational shooter.

During the 2011 NBA Draft, the Lakers drafted sharpshooter Andrew Goudelock out of the College of Charleston. Although many teams considered him a huge project, the rookie shooting guard has exceeded expectations this preseason and as of right now still has a spot on the roster. If he can continue to grow as an NBA player while maintaining his excellent stroke and range (3-5 from deep during the preseason) he could definitely be an option for the Lakers as a three-point threat.

The Lakers need an answer to their three-pointer woes and they need it fast. Whether it comes from Blake, Kapono or Goudelock, it will be an essential step in finding their way back to the playoffs this season.

The one promising sign: the Lakers finished the preseason with the third-best three-point percentage in the league with 47.5. Keep in mind, though; the rehearsal means nothing if you can’t perform when the final score actually matters.

If Blake can continue playing and shooting with the same confidence that he displayed on Wednesday night, there’s a real chance that he could be a difference-maker for the Lakers on offense this season.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native who was born into a family of diehard Lakers fans. For more Lakers coverage, follow him on Twitter..

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Read More: Gerald Green (F – LAL), Troy Murphy (F – LAL), Matt Barnes (F – LAL), Metta World Peace (F – LAL), Derek Fisher (G – LAL), Steve Blake (G – LAL), Pau Gasol (F – LAL), Andrew Bynum (C – LAL), Kobe Bryant (G – LAL), Luke Walton (F – LAL), Jason Kapono (F – LAL), Josh McRoberts (F – LAL), Devin Ebanks (F – LAL), Derrick Caracter (F – LAL), Chris Daniels (C – LAL), Andrew Goudelock (G – LAL), Darius Morris (G – LAL), Zach Andrews (F – LAL), Malcolm Thomas (F – LAL), Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday trimmed their roster down to 15, the maximum per NBA rules, heading into the regular season opener on Christmas Day against the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center. The Lakers waived five players on Thursday. Gerald Green, Zach Andrews, Chris Daniels, Elijah Milsap, and Malcolm Thomas were let go by the Lakers.

Perhaps the most intriguing of the players cut by the Lakers was Green, who was a first-round pick of the Boston Celtics in 2005, then included in the package that sent Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves to Boston. Green has averaged 7.5 points and 16.0 minutes per game in his 181 NBA games.

The Lakers’ roster now stands at 15 players:

Guards: Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Steve Blake, Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock

Forwards: Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace, Matt Barnes, Josh McRoberts, Devin Ebanks, Derrick Caracter, Luke Walton, Jason Kapono, Troy Murphy

Center: Andrew Bynum

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