NBA Lakers Rumors 2012: LA to Rely Upon Pau Gasol Early Due to Dwight Howard Injury

The most recent NBA Lakers rumors are focused on how each of their players will fit into the grand scheme of things for the 2012 regular season. As of right now, their biggest acquisition, Dwight Howard, is also their biggest question mark. It's unknown if he'll be starting when the 2012-13 season starts in late October, or if he'll still be out of action due to injury rehab.

According to Bleacher Report, if the latter is the case, it may mean Pau Gasol will have to step up early on. He'll be joined out on the floor by Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Metta World Peace, along with one other player. It might be Antawn Jamison even filling a void, or Jodi Meeks, but that's not clear yet. Nonetheless, Los Angeles will need to make some adjustments early on to address the lack of their big man in the middle.

The BR author notes that this will be the time for Gasol to get in the spotlight once again, saying:

"Howard's presumed absence should serve as a golden opportunity for Pau Gasol to 'reintroduce' himself as an elite power forward and a player who should be respected for his uncommon talent. Pau's performance dropped off considerably last season, though that seemed to have more to do with a shrinking role in Mike Brown's Bynum-centric offense than any impact Father Time might've had."

It's also mentioned that having Gasol out there with Nash is a good thing. The belief is that they'll put on some clinics in terms of passing, shooting and "all-around intelligent hoops." Unfortunately for Gasol, his time to shine will be limited by whenever D-Howard makes his return to the court, but he can definitely prove his worth in the early going, and step up when needed during the season.

A few other players to keep in mind heading into this Lakers season are Antawn Jamison, Jodi Meeks, Steve Blake, Metta World Peace, and potentially Chris Duhon. Peace, the artist formerly known as Ron Artest, has been excellent in the past, albeit a loose cannon at times. He previously won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, and has proven he has the grit and determination to scrap with the best of them. He'll be relied upon as an outside shooter and physical defender. Ironically, he's being called the "weak link" in the Lakers' starting lineup.

Chris Duhon, a former Duke star, could become a key asset off the Lakers' bench. While he hasn't quite flourished the way his teams have hoped he would, he hit 42% of his three-point shots last season. That is something the Lakers can certainly use. Having Duhon hitting 3's that effectively could cause serious problems once Dwight Howard is down low to help kick the ball out to a spot-up shooter.

The Lakers bench is probably going to be what gets criticized most should this championship-caliber team experiment fail in its first attempt during their 2012-13 season. However, looking at the players there such as Jamison, Blake, Duhon and Meeks, among others, it seems they are in a prime position to get the job done. The Los Angeles management will be able to address any glaring issues towards playoff time, and this team could easily be the most lethal squad to play in the coming season.

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