Laker Letdown

The Lakers suffered a tough loss earlier today to the New Orleans Hornets, and they now trail 0-1 in the series. The loss was definitely a letdown for Laker nation. Not even Kobe Bryant's amazing performance was enough to stop the Hornets attack today. That's because Kobe was not the one guarding Chris Paul. Chris Paul single handedly beat the Lakers today. He drove to the paint with little ease, he was deadly with his outside shooting, and his passing was on point. It was as if nobody was guarding Paul. On several occasions Paul beat his defender badly, forcing other players to step out and cover Paul. In essence creating defensive meltdown. The man to blame here is Derek Fisher. It's tough for me to admit that, being a lifelong Laker fan. All Laker fans remember his clutch shots in countless playoff games. But, I also remember that his horrendous defense was the reason the Lakers where down at the time. I also remember the numerous times where he continuously gets beaten to the basket. It's not that Fisher's effort is not there, it's that the skill is not there. He can't even guard a semi-quick point guard. At this point, I would feel more comfortable with anyone else defending Paul. The problem is that the Lakers have limited options. Steve Blake is currently out with chickenpox, Shannon Brown is not disciplined enough to play Paul, and Kobe Bryant would get worn out from playing Paul, that his offense would suffer. Even with Fisher out there guarding Paul, the Lakers talent level is so much better that they will pull out the series. My concern with Fisher is that his contract is still on the hook for two more years. That's two more years of Fisher's inept defensive play. Lakers management needs to do something about this problem during the off-season. The draft would be the ideal place to solve this problem. The Lakers current payroll is not flexible and draft choices come cheap, but the Lakers currently do not have a first round pick in this years draft. The Lakers do have a second round pick. Several options who are expected to be around in the second round are Kalin Lucas (Michigan St.), Shelvin Mack (Butler), and Ray McCallum (Detroit). I hope the Lakers are able to land McCallum, who is only a freshman. His athleticism is off the charts, and he has the quickness to stay in front of speedy guards. The free agent market is far less desirable. Marcus Thornton, Aaron Brooks, Rodney Stuckey and Jamal Crawford headline the point guard class. Out of these options, my favorite would be Stuckey. Although mostly by default. His game is solid, but nothing spectacular. Mitch Kupchak has a tough challenge looming this off-season in finding an adequate point guard. I have confidence that Kupchak is up for the task. Until then, Fisher is what the Lakers are stuck with. Hopefully he has plenty of clutch shots left in his arsenal..... and Chris Paul, Tony Parker, and Russell Westbrook all have injuries and are force to sit on the bench.