Along with swing man Matt Barnes, reserve point guard Steve Blake was likely the biggest acquisition this offseason by the Los Angeles Lakers, in their quest to win a third straight championship. I'm a sucker for guards who can shoot, and the 30-year old Blake is a career 39.3% three-point shooter, including 41.7% the last three seasons.
↵Blake is the subject of today's player profile, by Gil Meriken at the Lakers' blog Silver Screen and Roll:
↵↵↵He knows how to move on offense, but one of the main flaws I saw on offense is one that you don't see much in the NBA: he doesn't shoot enough. Time and again I saw defenses play him as if he was going to pass every time, and he obliged by dishing the ball out more often than shooting. To his credit, he still did well. But Blake is too good of a shooter to waste that part of his game. If he would make himself even seem to be more of a threat to score by putting up a few early shots, he would make his life that much easier.
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It's quite rare to find an NBA player who doesn't have a need to shoot, but Blake may just be that player. The only concern with Blake, as with any player joining a Phil Jackson-led team, is how quickly he will adapt to the triangle offense. Sure, today was only one game, in London against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but according to Mike Trudell of NBA.com, it seems Blake is adjusting just fine to the triangle:
↵↵↵Steve Blake looks like he's been running Phil Jackson's offense for a few years ... he's already pulling Caracter aside with tips.
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Maybe with the movement of the triangle offense, Blake will get, and hit, many open shots this season.
↵For more Lakers news and analysis, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Silver Screen and Roll.