Aaron McKie

McKie should start the season at point guard but don't expect him to see more than 24-30 minutes per game. The Lakers will want to develop young point guard Sasha Vujacic in his sophomore campaign so McKie will be a one or two year stopgap. McKie has never been more than a role player and shouldn't assume a big role with the Lakers. Sasha Vujacic: Vujacic is the future point guard for the Lakers. When that future becomes present is yet to be determined but that transition could come as soon as this season. Aaron McKie will start the season as the starter but expect Vujacic to see 18-24 minutes a game nonetheless. Vujacic has quick feet and a nice stroke from the free-throw line. He has yet to develop any range on his jump shot and is still not great distributing the ball. However, the Lakers might need him on the court more often than not this season for his defense if the veteran McKie has trouble keeping up with younger, quicker point guards.

McKie can put up the occasional big game, but he won't generate meaningful numbers in any single category over the course of the year. Expect about 10 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds, and decent percentages. If McKie can get on a hot streak, he may be worth considering, but look elsewhere at draft time.

If McKie can avoid getting nicked up, he'll serve as a useful sixth man, spelling Eric Snow at the points, Allen Iverson at the two and Glenn Robinson at the three. 10 points, four rebounds and four assists are within reach if McKie stays healthy.