Los Angeles
Lakers

News: Ebanks played in just 24 games for the Lakers in 2012, averaging four points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Impact: Ebanks failed to capitalize on his opportunities to start for the Lakers in 2012, averaging just 6.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 12 starts. Unless Ebanks is able to develop a reliable three-point shot, it seems he will continue to be a reserve, lending minimal value to fantasy owners in 2012-13.

News: After undergoing an experimental knee procedure in Germany in the 2011 offseason, Bryant outperformed his fantasy draft slotting for the 2012 season. His 27.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game were his best averages in four years. He slipped elsewhere though, shooting 43 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from downtown - his worst shooting percentages in more than a decade. His 3.5 turnovers per game were also his worst average since the 2004-05 season.
Impact: Bryant will no doubt deem 2012 a failure, as the Lakers were unable to reach the conference finals for the second-straight season. He missed just eight games in the regular season while enduring a wrist injury, a concussion, a broken nose and a shin injury throughout the season. It's hard to envision Bryant remaining healthy for a full season with all the miles on his body, but nobody works harder to stay in shape in the offseason than him, so baring a catastrophic injury, he should be a solid building block for fantasy teams in 2012-13.

News: Bynum plans to focus on his jump shot in the offseason, the Orange County Register's Kevin Ding reports.
Impact: Apparently Bynum wants to be able to shoot from up to 18 feet away from the basket. There was a controversy earlier this year when he shot some three-pointers, but it sounds like he will focus on more reasonable shots going forward. Bynum has incredible coordination for a player his size, but he may not be able to develop a jump shot good enough that the Lakers (or whoever he is playing for) will want him to use it often. Of course, that might not stop Bynum. If he does actually develop a nice jump shot, it would help his fantasy value, although a drop in his field-goal percentage would also be expected.

News: Blake averaged 6.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 three-pointers in 25.5 minutes per game in the 2012 season.
Impact: Blake still has two years remaining on his contract with the Lakers and he should return to man the backup point guard duties once again in 2012-13.

News: Barnes averaged 7.8 points on 45 percent shooting to go with 5.5 rebounds per game in the 2012 season. He drifted in and out of the Lakers starting lineup, and averaged 22.9 minutes per game.
Impact: Barnes will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and while he played an important role for the Lakers, it was not an ideal situation for him from a fantasy perspective.

News: Eyenga was basically a throw-in in the midseason trade that netted the Lakers Ramon Sessions from Cleveland. He played in just one regular season game for L.A. and finished the season with averages of 2.4 points and two rebounds per game.
Impact: Eyenga will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and regardless of where he ends up, he'll likely provide little fantasy value for the 2012-13 season.

News: Overall, World Peace had a rough 2012 campaign. He averaged 7.7 points and 3.4 boards per game, while not contributing anything special on the defensive end (1.1 steals and 0.4 blocks per game).
Impact: By his own admission, World Peace came to camp out of shape for the 2012 season. Once he rounded into form however, he played well - averaging 14.1 points, 4.2 boards, 2.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 three-pointers per game in 13 games in April. It's a small sample size, but it demonstrates the player he can be when everything is clicking. The Lakers are still burdened by another year of his contract, so look for him to start at small forward for them in 2012-13.

News: Sessions fit in nicely with the Lakers after he was shipped out of Cleveland in a midseason trade. In 23 regular season games for L.A. he averaged 12.7 points, 6.2 assists and 3.2 boards in 30.5 minutes per game, while shooting 48 percent from the field.
Impact: An unrestricted free agent, Sessions has a player option, so there's a chance that he could return and start at point guard for the Lakers. What Sessions brings to the table on offense, he takes away on the other side of the ball as a below average defender. For fantasy purposes however, he's a nice option when he gets minutes, as he did for the Lakers.

News: Murphy averaged 3.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game for the Lakers in 2012.
Impact: Murphy is an unrestricted free agent, and wherever he ends up next season, he's unlikely to contribute much from a fantasy perspective.

News: McRoberts averaged 2.8 points and 3.4 boards in 14.4 minutes per game in 2012.
Impact: McRoberts is still under contract for one more season and will likely be a limited reserve for the Lakers once again in the 2012-13 season unless he is used as an expiring contract in a trade scenario.

News: Hill averaged five points and 4.8 boards in 14.1 minutes per game while starting the season in Houston and being sent to the Lakers in a midseason trade.
Impact: The majority of Hill's action in the regular season came as a member of the Rockets, but he proved to be a valuable bench player for the Lakers in their first round playoff series against the Nuggets, averaging 5.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while posting two double-doubles in that series. In the right situation, Hill (an unrestricted free agent) could be a decent source for rebounding in deep fantasy leagues next season.

News: Gasol's 17.4 points per game in 2012 was the worst scoring average of his 12-year career. This was due largely to Andrew Bynum's emergence as a superstar center, thanks to his ability to remain healthy all season. Despite the drop in scoring, Gasol was impressive elsewhere, averaging 10.4 boards, 3.7 assists and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 50 percent from the field.
Impact: After failing to reach the conference finals for the second-straight season, the Lakers would appear to be at a crossroads with their big three of Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Gasol. Trading Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard is an option that seems to have been out there for almost two years, with neither side willing to fully commit to the idea. Regardless of whether the Lakers swap franchise centers with Orlando, they are likely to try to shop Gasol this offseason, as they did last offseason. A change of scenery would actually improve Gasol's fantasy value in theory, since he would be better than a third option on almost any other team than the Lakers.

News: Bryant poured in 42 points on 18-of-33 shooting during the Lakers' 106-90 loss to the Thunder on Monday.
Impact: It's tough to blame Bryant for the loss, as he scored nearly half of Los Angeles' points, but he also handed out zero assists. The Thunder will face the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals starting Sunday.

News: Bryant had a game-high 38 points (12-28 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 14-17 FT) to go with eight boards and five assists Saturday as the Lakers lost to the Thunder in Game 4.
Impact: Kobe was not bashful about hoisting up shots Saturday, and he may take some heat for failing to get Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol more looks in the fourth quarter, but it's hard to imagine him becoming more passive as the Lakers look to stay alive in Game 5 in Oklahoma City on Monday.

News: Bryant led six Lakers in double figures with 36 points in 39 minutes as LA downed Oklahoma City on Friday in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Impact: Bryant was abysmal from the field, knocking down just 9-of-25 shots. Many of those misses drew trips to the foul line, allowing him to rack up 18 freebies on 18 attempts, a new Lakers playoff record. Bryant also gathered seven rebounds, six assists (versus two turnovers), and two steals on the evening. With Game 4 on Saturday, be surprised if the refs provide him with the same benefit of the doubt in the back end of a back-to-back.

News: Blake was vindicated Friday following Wednesday's last-second rim-out from three-point range, drilling both three-point attempts en route to 12 points (4-5 FG, 2-2 FT) in the Lakers' Game 3 victory over Oklahoma City in the Western Conference semis.
Impact: Blake also pulled down eight rebounds while committing two turnovers in 29 minutes off the bench. He's contributed solid numbers in the postseason to date, averaging 6.9 points, 3.1 boards, 2.5 assists, and 1.7 treys in 26.7 minutes, while shooting 43.6 percent from the floor and 44.7 percent from downtown. Blake will attempt to duplicate Friday's performance in Game 4 on Saturday.

News: Gasol registered a double-double against the Thunder in Game 2 on Wednesday. He finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Impact: Gasol was efficient, making 6-of-11 from the field, and 2-for-2 from the line. He also failed to commit a turnover while handing out three assists.

News: Bynum came up one rebound shy of a double-double in the Lakers' Game 2 loss at Oklahoma City. He finished with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Impact: Like virtually everyone on the floor Wednesday, Bynum struggled with his shot, making just 8-of-19 from the floor. He added an assist and two blocked shots to complete his line.

News: Bryant finished tied for a team-high with 20 points in Wednesday's Game 2 loss at Oklahoma City. He added three rebounds, four assists, and four steals on the night.
Impact: It was a game to forget for Bryant. He shot just 9-of-25 from the floor, and missed all five of his attempts and committed a crucial turnover in the last five minutes of the Lakers' meltdown loss. Look for a motivated Kobe to explode in Game 3 at home.

News: Bynum scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds during the Lakers' 119-90 loss to the Thunder on Monday.
Impact: Bynum went 7-of-12 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the line, adding one assist and one block in 31 minutes of action. The well-rested Thunder blew the Lakers out of the gym. Game 2 will be Wednesday night.

News: Gasol had 23 points (9-19 FG, 5-5 FT), 17 boards, six assists, one steal and four blocks while committing just one turnover in 41 minutes Saturday as the Lakers advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a win over the Nuggets.
Impact: Gasol really came to play Saturday, leading to an outstanding stat line, which featured a whopping 11 offensive rebounds. It's no guarantee that he'll bring the same level of focus and assertiveness in the second round against the Thunder, but it would be tough to envision him topping Saturday's performance.

News: Bynum had a monster double-double Saturday, posting 16 points (4-15 FG, 8-11 FT), 18 boards, one assist, one steal and six blocks in 43 minutes to help the Lakers close out the Nuggets in Game 7.
Impact: Bynum's gaudy numbers Saturday show what he's capable of when he puts his mind to rebounding and protecting the rim, and he didn't even shoot well from the field. Hopefully, for the sake of the Lakers and his fantasy owners, he is up to the task in the second round against the Thunder.

News: Bryant had 17 points (7-16 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 1-4 FT), one rebound and eight assists in 45 minutes Saturday as the Lakers were able best the Nuggets in Game 7 and advance to the second round of the playoffs.
Impact: For much of the second half, Bryant was content to let the double team come and find his teammates for open looks. Steve Blake, most notably, knocked down five three-pointers, most of which were assisted by Bryant. The Black Mamba certainly won't be so passive on most nights, so look for him to be back to scoring close to 30 points in Game 1 of the Lakers second-round series against the Thunder.

News: World Peace was very solid in his return from suspension Saturday, scoring 15 points (5-15 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 1-2 FT) to go with five rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks in 44 minutes as the Lakers won their Game 7 bout against the Nuggets.
Impact: World Peace's impact was most felt on the defensive end, as his two marks Saturday - Andre Miller and Danilo Gallinari - were held to a combined 2-for-19 shooting from the field.

News: Blake had 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting from downtown Saturday to spark the Lakers off the bench and help close out the Nuggets in Game 7 of their opening-round series. He also chipped in two boards, three assists, two steals and one block in 30 minutes.
Impact: The 19 points were a playoff-career-high for Blake. He should continue to see significant minutes if his hot shooting continues, especially considering Ramon Sessions has seemed hesitant to pull the trigger on similar open looks over the past couple games.

News: After battling a stomach illness in the Lakers' Game 6 loss, Bryant is ready to go and feeling better for Saturday's series-deciding game, NBA.com reports.
Impact: No surprises here. Look for Bryant to have a strong Game 7.

News: Bryant will play Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets despite a stomach ailment that caused him to miss his team's morning shootaround.
Impact: Coach Mike Brown said Bryant was holding down liquids and had no restriction on his minutes. Bryant is coming off a 43-point performance in Game 5 but he missed a game-tying 3-pointer in the Lakers' 102-99 loss Tuesday night at Staples Center.

News: Bryant has a stomach ailment and will be a game-time decision for Thursday night's Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets. Bryant missed the team's shootaround at the Pepsi Center on Thursday morning.
Impact: Coach Mike Brown said he expects his All-Star guard to be in the lineup when the Lakers try to wrap up the best-of-seven series Thursday night. Bryant is coming off a 43-point performance in Game 5, but he missed a game-tying 3-pointer in L.A.'s 102-99 loss Tuesday night at Staples Center.