It wasn’t that long ago that depth at the frontline was a situation of dire straights for the Lake Show. Soon the opposite will be true as on Sunday Theo Ratliff nearly participated in a full practice for the first time since his knee surgery.
While Ratliff’s return won’t signify much more than a new body in the rotation and a demotion to the D-League for Derrick Caracter, the veteran center does provide another defensive presence. Between Bynum, Gasol, Odom and Ratliff, the Lakers will have the length needed to compete with the bigger teams in the West. Looking much further down the road, it will also be a frontline capable of competing with the Celtics.
But that is looking much too far beyond the immediate tasks.
Immediately, Ratliff will have to complete a full practice before we can begin to look at Phil’s new rotation. For now it’s just nice to know this team is getting healthier as the season progresses instead of the opposite.