Sasha Vujacic, Lakers
Talk about a jump in shooting percentages. In his first three pro seasons, Vujacic shot 36.5 percent on long 2-pointers and 34.3 percent on 3s; last season, he made 45.2 percent of his long 2s and 43.7 percent of his 3s. The truth on Vujacic likely lies somewhere in between the two extremes. It means he'll continue to have value but won't match the type of numbers he put up last season. A preseason ankle problem and a possible loss of minutes to Trevor Ariza are other factors working against him.
Derek Fisher, Lakers
Fisher's first season back in L.A. was quite a turnaround, as he hit 45.3 percent of his 2s after making 41.1 percent over the previous three seasons; his 43.6 percent overall shooting mark was his best in half a decade. In fact, he was nearly a Fluke Rule qualifier. Given that he's 34, that his shooting mark is likely to return to earth and that Jordan Farmar is breathing down his neck for playing time, he's a good candidate to see his numbers regress this season.
Pau Gasol, Lakers
I've written about this plenty already, but the return of Andrew Bynum is going to make things a lot harder for Gasol offensively. He's going to lose a lot of low-post touches to Bynum, and while he's an effective high-post player, he's a lot more dangerous when he's on the block. People don't really think of him as a go-to post guy because of his skinny frame, but he is; that aspect of his game now will take a back seat.
Ummm I dont agree with any of these assements. You dont have to be a spring chicken to hit open jumpers. So I think Fisher and the Machine will do just fine. The Machine has shown the ability to get to the rim this year more than usual. Fisher is Fisher. He thrives on open shots. Gasol has been golden with the addition of Bynum. I swear I think half of these guys dont watch the NBA.
— Mags
