Lakers' Trade Deadline Moves Do Not Fix Problems

The Los Angeles Lakers have not been playing basketball they way they have wanted to all season. Coming into the season, it was clear ownership had had enough of the current roster. They dumped Lamar Odom for basically nothing. Then, after failing to trade for Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, they did not to improve their team. At the trade deadline, the Lakers tried to make some big moves, but ultimately didn't have the personnel to get the job done.

Instead, the Lakers made two small deals. In the first trade, they acquired the Cleveland Cavaliers backup point guard Ramon Sessions and seldom used guard Christian Eyenga. The Lakers sent Luke Walton, Jason Kapono, and their 2012 first-round pick to the Cavs in return. In the second trade, the Lakers added backup center Jordan Hill from the Houston Rockets. The Rockets received veteran point guard Derek Fisher and a 2012 first round pick as compensation.

What does this do for the Lakers' problems this season? In all reality, basically nothing. Sessions is younger than Fisher, but isn't that much better of a player to improve the point guard position for the Lakers. They still don't have a solid option at the small forward spot, other than Metta World Peace. Hill will barely crack the rotation, fighting for minutes behind Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. What the Lakers did here is like the equivalent of putting a Scooby Doo band-aid on a gash that requires 50 stitches. This simply won't solve all of the issues this team has. The Lakers will still be a playoff team, but you can bank on an exit similar to last year's playoffs again this season.