The Lakers bench no longer looks like an albatross. It's starting to contribute enough energy, defense and points that it no longer looks as if the starters will have to survive 40 minutes a night in the playoffs.

But as much as everyone's roles appear to be becoming more focused, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Wednesday that there's one player whom he expects to play a bigger role in the playoffs than he is now.

Surprisingly, it was Steve Blake.

Most of the attention Blake received in Saturday's win over Dallas was for his offensive awakening. In a 2-for-16 slump, Blake sank three 3-pointers – two of them immediately after Kobe Bryant left with a sprained ankle – and had five assists and no turnovers in 27 minutes. But largely unnoticed was the defense he played against Jason Terry.

"Steve can and will have more authority, more presence on the court as we go ahead," Jackson said. "Fish is a leader on the team, and [Blake] has stayed in the backdrop a lot and played a role. He's a very important part of what we have to get done, simply because he has a defensive capability to do things that we can't get done with anybody else. So, some of the guys who are prolific scorers that come off screens or do things based on just quickness and speed, he's got to be part of that. He knows that and he's stepping into it."