Lakers

All those dreadful games in which the Lakers' reserves coughed up double-digit leads may soon become a distant memory. The Lakers acquired strong secondary scoring by persuading Antawn Jamison to sign at the veteran's minimum. They immediately bolstered their outside shooting by acquiring Jodie Meeks. The Lakers made sure to hang on to young promising prospects, such as Jordan Hill and Devin Ebanks. So it's safe to assume that the Lakers reserves won't fare any worse than last season, when they finished last in the league in scoring (20.5)

A long time awaits before the Lakers even begin playing basketball. But if Laker fans don't already have their tickets by then, they may need to hand over a few bills to secure seats. That's always been the case for Laker games, but Dwight Howard's arrival just put ticket demand into overdrive. Fansnap.com , a ticket search engine that compiles results from major ticket marketplaces and ticket agencies, said the average ticket price rests between $270 and $323 per seat since last week when the Lakers acquired Howard.

For over a year, the Lakers couldn't get themselves out of what appeared to be a little batting slump. They clearly hit the ball out of the park by landing Chris Paul. But the umpire (NBA Commissioner David Stern) ruled it a foul ball. It then appeared the Lakers whiffed when they traded away Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher. Then they repeatedly hit balls that landed foul. They acquired a promising point guard in Ramon Sessions, but he couldn't handle the playoff pressure. A bloated payroll made Deron Williams skeptical of wearing purple and gold.

With consequential issues looming, it's important to get out and vote. It's your democratic right. It's the way your voice is heard. Perhaps it will also produce change. We're not talking about the 2012 presidential election. We're talking about the Lakers ' upcoming 2012-13 NBA season. Of course, that issue pales in comparison to matters such as the economy and national security. But Lakers' title hopes and their star-studded lineup still spark passionate debate.

Some things to watch when the Lakers (39-23) visit the Golden State Warriors (22-38) Wednesday at Oracle Arena in Oakland: 1. The Warriors will tank, but the Lakers have to be careful. With eyes on a possible high lottery pick, the Warriors have lost 17 of their last 22 games since trading away Monta Ellis to Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut. So no need to worry about the standings implications regarding this game. The Lakers will add some cushion to their half-game lead over the Clippers for third place in the Western Conference.

With the Lakers' roster changes pretty much finalized, it's safe now to envision how the team will fare heading into the 2012-13 season. Sure, the Lakers will have to narrow their 14-man roster during training camp, and no one knows what deals leading into the trade deadline could change the NBA landscape. But in the spirit of seeing how things have evolved for the Lakers since the 2012 NBA playoffs ended, this is one in a series breaking down potentially troublesome opponents. Team: Oklahoma City Thunder Lakers' record versus Thunder last year: 1-2 in regular season; lost 4-1 in Western Conference semifinals How Thunder fared last season: Compiled a 47-19 regular-season record (second in Western Conference)

Long before the free agency madness begins, the Lakers' front office puts together a list. General Manager Mitch Kupchak and executive Jim Buss rank the players they covet once July 1 hits. It doesn't matter whether the Lakers can afford the player. It doesn't matter whether he is interested. No free agency signing or trade happens without Kupchak first picking up the phone. So even with Steve Nash proclaiming publicly he couldn't envision himself joining the Lakers, Kupchak recalled Buss providing a stern reminder.