As I've predicted in my last post, Steve Blake proved to be a vital cog for the Los Angeles Lakers in their season opener against the Houston Rockets.
While the stat line of 10 points, 3 assists and a steal won't wow anyone, Blake played quality minutes off the bench and made key plays. He also made three out of four three balls, with the last one delivering the win. Moreover, Blake had a +13 plus/minus stat, the highest of any Laker for the game.
To me, this is the type of shooting that works well in the Triangle Offense and the kind of spark off the bench that will make people forget about the Lakers former bench mob, particularly Jordan Farmar.
I'm sure Blake will have his share of struggles in the 82-game season, but the opener gives the Lakers faithful reason to be more optimistic.
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