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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe Los Angeles Lakers got a brutal reminder of how one play could change the destiny of a team’s season when an ankle injury to LeBron James left the team facing the prospect of several weeks without their two superstars.
The good news is the both James and Davis should be recovered before the 2021 NBA Playoffs begin on May 22nd and the Lakers still have four days left to seek help via a trade or buyout before the March 23rd trade deadline. Before the injury, the media consensus was the Lakers were unlikely to make a major move but, with James’ and Davis’ return being unpredictable, there’s an emerging strong case for Rob Pelinka to be bold and think big.
Even healthy, the Lakers faced a tougher challenge to win the championship this season than they did in the bubble last season since the Jazz, 76ers, Suns, Nets, Clippers, and Bucks having improved their rosters over last year. With both superstars suffering major injuries that could linger into the playoffs, the Lakers desperately need help in the form of a star quality playmaker to run the offense and elite rim protector to anchor the defense.
The most optimistic projections would have Anthony Davis and LeBron James possibly returning in two to three weeks, which would still mean the 28–14 Lakers would have to play 7 to 11 games without their superstars. The worst case scenario would have Davis missing up to 4 weeks more and LeBron 8 weeks, leaving the Lakers fighting for playoff positioning and their two superstars fighting to get into shape the last 2 to 4 weeks of the season.
LeBron’s injury could have dire consequences for the Lakers’ playoff hopes. After tonight, the Lakers could own just a 2-game lead in the loss column over the 7th place Spurs and only 5 games over the 10th place Grizzlies. Anything other than a best case scenario could easily leave the Lakers having to participate in the 2-game win-or-go-home Play-In Tournament between the West’s 7th through 10th seeds just to get into the playoffs.
The Lakers have 30 games left in the regular season. In a best case scenario, they’ll only lose their superstars for 10 games and have 20 to make up ground. In a worst case scenario, those numbers could easily be reversed. Complicating the situation, James’ and Davis’ injuries are the kind where the Lakers won’t know when they’re ready to play until they’re ready, which could make it imperative for Rob Pelinka to make a big move right now.
The silver lining is LeBron’s injury has answered the question of whether the Lakers need to make major moves to improve their roster. Now the question becomes what are the specific moves the Lakers should make. Before LeBron’s injury, the Lakers’ major needs were high volume 3-point shooters and an elite rim protector. Now you can add a true point guard capable of creating quality shots for himself and teammates to the list.
While Myles Turner would be the ideal solution as a rim protector, the Lakers would be smart to save their trading chips for a playmaking volume 3-point shooter and get a Drummond or Whiteside via the buyout market. Until LeBron returns, the Lakers will desperately need somebody to replace his elite playmaking and volume 3-point shooting. Three available players who could fill that need are Kyle Lowry, Devonte Graham, and Lonzo Ball.
Lowry would be the perfect solution if the Raptors decide to move him. But Kyle makes $30.0 million and it would cost a package of Schroder, Harrell, and KCP, which is just too much for the undermanned Lakers to give up. Convincing the Hornets to give up Graham is also going to be difficult as he only makes $1.6 million per year, which makes it hard for Charlotte to get value in a trade. Best offer would be THT and a 2027 first round pick.
That leaves polarizing former Lakers’ point guard Lonzo Ball, who makes $11 million per year and will become a restricted free agent this summer, as the ideal trade target for Los Angeles to go after to cover for LeBron’s injury. Lonzo is averaging 14.2 point, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in 31.7 minutes per game while shooting 42.5% from the field, 38.5% from deep on 7.8 threes per game, and a greatly improved 76.7% from the free throw line.
While Ball is polarizing for many Lakers fans, he’s the perfect point guard to pair with Dennis Schroder and has developed into an excellent 3&D guard who knows how to play off the ball alongside ball dominant star players. The Lakers might be able to trade Lonzo for a package of KCP and THT. A salary controlled KCP could be a great fit as the replacement for Bledsoe and Redick at shooting guard with THT’s elite potential as the sweetener.
A Lonzo Ball and Dennis Schroder starting backcourt with Drummond at center could be exactly what the Lakers need both in the short term until LeBron and AD return as well as in the playoffs when everybody’s healthy. The playmaking, volume 3-point shooting, and defensive switch-ability Lonzo brings would dramatically improve the Lakers starting lineup. As a bonus, trading for Lonzo would prevent him from joining the Clippers.
Rob Pelinka has a big challenge on his hands to make the right decisions to enable the Lakers to weather the short term without LeBron and AD while still making key moves to upgrade the team’s roster for the playoffs. Landing a quality playmaking point guard who’s also a volume 3-point shooter and good defender plus an elite rim protector who won’t get played off the floor in the playoffs is not going to be easy without giving up depth.
There’s no question LeBron’s unfortunate injury has dramatically changed everything. What Rob Pelinka and the Lakers decide to do the next four days could be critical to their chances of repeating as NBA champions.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreIn the wake of Anthony Davis’ injury, the Los Angeles Lakers might have discovered how to transform their season with the emergence of a ‘Bench Big Three’ of Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and Talen Horton-Tucker.
In the first three games of the second half of the NBA season, Trezz, Kuz, and THT have combined to score 45.7 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 13.3 assists in 17.7 minutes per game as the Lakers swept their first 3 games. During this win streak, the Lakers posted the league’s 5th best offensive and defensive ratings and 2nd best net rating while missing their starting power forward and center in Davis and Gasol and best defender in Caruso.
Harrell led the way, leading the Lakers in scoring followed by James and then Kuzma and Horton-Tucker. The bench’s 64.3 points per game was league best while the decimated starters 59 points was worst in the league. Trezz averaged 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.3 blocks in 28.8 minutes; Kuz 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists in 28.1 minutes; and THT 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists in 23.8 minutes per game.
While the breakout performances from Harrell, Kuzma, and Horton-Tucker were not against elite competition, they reflected major strategic changes in the Lakers’ half-court offense that could transform the Lakers’ season. Basically, the Lakers replaced their iso-heavy half court offense with a pick-and-roll dominated, share-the-ball approach that unleashed Harrell as a roller, opened lanes for Horton-Tucker, and created open threes for Kuzma.
The heart of the change in the Lakers’ half-court offense was the renewed focus on Montrezl Harrell in pick-and-rolls, which is why he averaged 20 points per game and won 6MOY honors with the Clippers last season. Needing a boost in scoring from the bench with Davis, Gasol, and Caruso out, Frank Vogel turned to Harrell and Trezz delivered. It was a move the Lakers should have taken greater advantage of the first half of the season.
The 3-game result was better ball and player movement, a jump in team field goal percentage from a league 8th best 48.1% to a league best 55.2% and assists from a league 17th best 24.5 to a league 3rd best 31.0 per game. Just as importantly, the Lakers increased their league 25nd 35.1% 3-point shooting to a league 4th best 41.3% and their league 8th best 22.8 free throw attempts per game to a league best 30.7 free throws per game.
Leading the charge to get the Lakers’ ‘Next Man Up’ mentality working was team captain LeBron James, who averaged 21.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 11.0 assists in just 32 minutes per game over the 3-game winning streak. Compensating for Anthony Davis’ injury and taking advantage of Joel Embiid’s injury to regain leadership in the regular season MVP race, LeBron posted back-to-back triple-doubles leading the Lakers to the last two wins.
Damian Jones capably filled in for starting center Marc Gasol averaging 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 17.8 minutes while Markieff Morris added 9.0 points and 6.3 rebounds replacing the inured Anthony Davis. Jones is slowly showing the decision to give him a second 10-day contract was prescient as his 108.5 offensive rating, 98.3 defensive rating, and 10.2 net rating were among the best on the Lakers for the 3 games.
The big question, of course, is were these three games just an anomaly? After all, Kuz, Trezz, and THT only averaged 13.8, 11.5, and 7.2 points per game before the last 3 games when they averaged 23.0, 19.0, and 13.3. While it’s doubtful the Lakers’ ‘Bench Big Three’ is going to perform at this level going forward, there is definitely optimism that the Lakers may have discovered how to get their bench going, even without LeBron and AD.
The Lakers have 3 more games before the March 24th trade deadline, including an important rematch Sunday with the rising Phoenix Suns, who beat the Lakers in their first game this season and are second in the West. That will be the big test for the Lakers’ ‘Bench Big Three’ and is likely to be the last game before the trade deadline. If Trezz, Kuz, and THT are able to continue their torrid play, it’s likely they’ll still be wearing purple and gold.
In any event, the last three games have shown the Lakers a potential path towards not only surviving but also winning while Anthony Davis is out. That’s something that could transform the Lakers’ championship hopes.
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While I don’t think Trezz, Kuz, and THT can continue to put up 23.0, 19.0, and 13.3 ppg like they did the last three games, I do think they are capable of putting up more than the 13.8, 11.5, and 7.2 ppg they did the first half of the season, a 77% increase.
While their increased productivity is partly due to their own performance, a big part of it is how the adjustments in the offense has optimized each of their abilities to score. So what could be a reasonable expectation? Maybe 21.0. 17.0 and 11.0, which would still be over a 50% increase.
The Lakers have adjusted the system to fit their talents of the Bench Big Three rather than just asking them to fix into a system designed speciflically to optimize LeBron and AD. In a way, we’re playing more of a Jazz type egalitarian offensive scheme instead of a traditional superstar driven offensive approach.
The other question is what will the return of AD affect things. Right now, Morris seems to be playing well at the four and Jones doing a fine job at the five. AD’s return would certainly solve the starters woe’s of being the lowest scoring starting lineup in the league. And Gasol is likely to be replaced by somebody.
At any rate, the Bench Big Three is something the Lakers need to hang their hat on. In addition to 3-point and PIP differentials, superior bench play can be another way for the Lakers to beat teams, especially those like Brooklyn who lack quality depth.
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100% agree on this idea. Also Caruso’s concussion re-opened the door that had seemingly closed in the backup PG role for THT this season. Curious to see how his addition adds or detracts fro
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M the growth we’ve seen. Only three games and not too rated defenses but still encouraging.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreIn retrospect, the Lakers need to rethink what they need from the center position because signing JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol, and Montrezl Harrell as the team’s centers the past two years was a mistake.
The Lakers should look at Anthony Davis, their prototype modern center who can shoot threes or attack the rim on offense and protect the rim or guard the perimeter on defense, to see what they need from their centers. What the defense-first Lakers don’t need are old school low post defensive or offensive centers who can’t stretch the floor with 3-point shooting or play the trapping, doubling, and rotating championship defense the team plays.
JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard proved to be unplayable against most opponents in the playoffs last year as they lacked the mobility, speed, and quickness the Lakers needed to trap, switch and defend on the perimeter. Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell face a similar fate in the playoffs this year as their inability to block shots and protect the rim leaves them vulnerable to being played off the court defensively despite their value on offense.
The problem is the Lakers don’t appear to have learned from their mistakes picking centers the last two seasons as they are now supposedly pursuing centers who’ll solve rim protection issues but be unplayable in the playoffs. The Lakers need to trade for a starting center like Myles Turner or Nerlens Noel rather than settling for another team’s discards like Andre Drummond or Hassan Whiteside who can solve one problem but then create another.
Drummond and Whiteside might be able to help hold down the fort for the three to five weeks until Anthony Davis returns but both have the same perimeter defensive liabilities that ultimately doomed McGee and Howard. Signing one of them is like applying a band aid to a badly broken bone. After Anthony Davis’s recent injury scare, there’s no way the Lakers want to see him again playing 50% of his time at center come this year’s playoffs.
Myles Turner and Nerlens Noel are two trade candidates who are talented and young enough to be permanent rather than temporary solutions to the Lakers’ need to find a center to complement and protect Anthony Davis. Both are top-five rim protectors who are younger than Anthony Davis and have the physicality, athleticism, and toughness to protect him from having to defend bigger bruising centers like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.
Besides being top-five shot blockers, Turner and Noel have diverse offensive or defensive skill sets that set them apart from limited one dimensional centers like McGee, Howard, Gasol, Harrell, Drummond, and Whiteside. Turner is the prototype modern offensive center who can shoot the three and throw down lobs while Noel is the prototype modern defensive center who can both protect the rim and switch onto and defend smaller players.
In short, they simply can’t be played off the court defensively in the playoffs like the old school centers the Lakers signed over the last two years or are looking at from the buyout market, which is why they’re worth trading for. While it’s always difficult to break up a top-ranked defensive team, the Lakers know they will need a better rim protector in the playoffs than Gasol or Harrell or adding Drummond of Whiteside will be able to provide.
Defending their championship against the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, or Brooklyn Nets will be a tougher challenge than the Lakers had to face in the bubble against the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Miami Heat. The Lakers need a solution to their center conundrum that works in the regular season and the playoffs. Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside, or some other candidate from the buyout market is not the right answer.
The Lakers would be smart to trade for Myles Turner or Nerlens Noel to permanently solve their rim protection issues, add a young starting center to protect AD, and double down on their championship caliber defense.
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In short, no.
I think that even in a guy like Damien Jones, we’ve seen value in simple areas of basketball: running screen and roll at the top of the key and lobbing the ball to a super athletic big man. Same play we ran a ton of with both Howard and McGee last season. In the playoffs I’d be astounded if both Davis and a Noel/Howard/McGee style center played big minutes together. But let’s say that they would, for arguments sake. Are the player’s you’re looking for even available?
Nerlens Noel: Doesn’t sound like it unless you want to vastly overpay in terms of picks and/or young players which, let’s be honest, you tend to do. Been reading Knicks blogs today to gauge the barometer of how they’re vibing on Noel. To put it simply the vibe is strong and positive. While that’s not to say that’s where the Knickerbocker front office is at looking at it through the lens of their team it doesn’t make a ton of sense to trade him. Mitchell Robinson is still recovering from surgery on his hand and has only today been cleared to practice with contact. That means he’s probably a week or two from seeing the floor. Hard to see New York blinking on a Noel trade at this point with the deadline a week out and Robinson not yet back from his surgery. Even if they deemed Nerlens expendable, he’s making $5 mil, no biggie to let him walk along with a slew of their other role-players, re-up with the ones they like, at a raise, and come back better with an even more improved Randle. I think they Noel both for insurance and because he’s a solid back up who is familiar with what they’re doing. In all honesty I don’t really even see Nerlens Noel as much of an upgrade over Damien Jones. Sign the kid for the rest of the season and you don’t have to give away any talent in the doing.
Myles Turner: Indy could be in a sellers market. They’re clinging to the final play-in spot and I expect that they’ll be passed by Toronto who is currently decimated by injuries. Indy is pretty much healthy now and Caris LaVert coming back adds another body to their starting five. The biggest issue I see with a trade is that they really don’t need to make one. Pacers will not be over the cap this summer, Turner is under contract for 2 more seasons after this one, the only core players w/expiring deals are McConnell and McDermott. So…why make a trade for an expiring Trezz and KCP unless they are super-dooper high on KCP? Holding onto Trezz will be hard for any team. He has no rights and will be a UFA this summer no matter where he goes. THT added in…maybe? But where does he slot in for them and is that enough to move one of the top defenders in the league? I would say no if I was Indy’s GM. Now…would I like to see Myles in a Laker uni? Sure, makes a lot of sense for us (cost-controlled, should pair nicely with Davis and James, etc.) but the issue is more with why would Indy make this trade now than fit on our team.
A couple other things I don’t think get enough consideration when it comes to trades this season.
-Little to no practices means starting over with whomever you bring in. New York was lucky that they brought in 2 vets that know what Thibbs likes to facilitate on-court learning curves and impact play on the court. Trading a player this season for a miniscule talent upgrade is akin to throwing away time. If you’re in contention this isn’t really the season to embrace roster upheaval, if anything it goes against the idea of winning now philosophies to a large degree.
-The cap next summer. It will be lower. Maybe it’ll be partially inflated via artificial means or something but the truth is the BRI and thus the salary cap is going to take a hit. With that in mind I would imagine teams with expiring deals for low-key players aren’t going to want to bring in hard to hold onto players (like Trezz and THT and eve to a lesser degree Caruso) or jeopardize the cap space they’ve carved out. This will be especially true for small market teams.
-There are potentially a ton of big names that can be free agents this summer. I don’t see Leonard staying on the Clippers if they don’t at least get to the NBA Finals. He’s not there to break a Clipper curse but to add to his legacy and getting to the western conference finals (no guarantee) won’t be enough. CP3 might stay in Phoenix…or not. John Collins, DeMar DeRozan and future Laker in waiting Victor Oapdipo will all be on the market, or likely to be should they decline their options in order to leave the situations they are in. With all of the above in mind I tend to side with the NBA rumors and reports that has this being a slow trade season, that the uncertainty of the summer cap situation, the potential to upgrade in free agency with the player of one’s choosing and the fact that there will be, what…two, maybe three practices by teams before the playoffs means that the buyout market will be hot and the trade market not.Could I be wrong about all that? Sure, wouldn’t be the first time. But the practice issue is a legit one as is the cap this summer. It’s easy to proclaim that the Lakers want to win now and will do whatever it takes and Jeannie said she’d be willing to pay a luxury tax (which was already a sure bet) but those are just that: proclamations and notions. My two bits.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreStruggling with Anthony Davis’ subpar play and injury, players out due to Covid protocol, cratering 3-point shooting, and faltering rim protection, the Lakers desperately need a big trade to keep their championship hopes alive.
They need a third superstar to match the Nets’ Superstar Big Three, some volume 3-point shooters to match the Clippers, Nets, and Jazz who shoot 10 more threes per game, and an elite rim protector to anchor their defense. Finding players to fill those needs is going to require the Lakers to give up valuable components of the roster than won the NBA championship last season. The reality is the bar to win the NBA championship has been raised.
Other than LeBron and AD, Kuzma is the only other Laker close to being untouchable as he’s become exactly what the Lakers are trying to trade for, a high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter who could be a third star. Keeping Dennis Schroder should also be a high priority but the rest of the Lakers’ roster have to be considered fair game in a major trade, even fan favorites like Alex Caruso, Montrezl Harrell, and Talen Horton-Tucker.
While the Lakers will be monitoring the buyout market, they’re not likely to find a third star or superstar, volume 3-point shooter, or elite rim protector there. The one exception may be former Houston center DeMarcus Cousins. What separates Cousins from the other center buyout candidates is his willingness and ability to shoot the three. Boogie shot 33.6% on 4.6 threes per game this season and 35.4% on 6.1 threes per game at his peak in 2018.
The challenging part of proposing trades is figuring out who’s available that fits your needs, what competing teams are likely to offer, and what’s the right package to offer to entice the other team to actually agree to the trade. Fortunately, there’s TRADENBA.COM’s virtual trade machine that not only allows anybody to play NBA general manager but also projects which team wins the trade and number of wins the trade should statistically produce.
Here are ten proposed trades that could give the Lakers a coveted third superstar, volume 3-point shooters to keep up with the Nets, Clippers, and Jazz, and/or a rim protector to anchor the Lakers’ top ranked defense.
1. TRADE FOR VICTOR OLADIPO & PJ TUCKER
Lakers get third superstar, add volume 3-point shooting and perimeter defense but give up valuable depth, scoring, and budding young star.
Third Superstar? Yes, Victor Oladipo
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 10.2 vs. 6.6 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Oladipo > THT, Tucker > KCP
Trade Machine Verdict? Even Trade.Starters: Schroder, OLADIP0, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caruso, TUCKER, Kuzma, Morris, COUSINS
2. TRADE FOR KYLE LOWRY
Lakers get third superstar, add volume 3-point shooting and perimeter defense but give up valuable depth, scoring, and budding young star.
Third Superstar? Yes, Kyle Lowry
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes,7.1 vs. 5.2 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Lowry > KCP
Trade Machine Verdict? Raptors+3 WinsStarters: LOWRY, Schroder, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caruso, Kuzma, McKinnie, Morris, COUSINS
3. TRADE FOR KRISTAPS PORZINGIS
Lakers get potential third superstar and modern two-way center but give up valuable depth, scoring, perimeter defense, and budding young star.
Third Superstar? Yes, Kristaps Porzingis
Volume 3-Point Shooting? No, 6.2 vs 8.2 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Porzingis Averages 1.5 Blocks Per Game
Trade Machine Verdict? Even TradeStarters: Schroder, Kuzma, James, Davis, PORZINGIS
Bench: Caruso, Matthews, McKinney, Morris, Gasol
4. TRADE FOR MYLES TURNER
Lakers get perfect modern center who can protect the rim and stretch defenses but give up volume threes, depth, and budding young star.
Third Superstar? Yes, Myles Turner is a superstar for his position
Volume 3-Point Shooting? No, 4.6 vs. 7.1 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Turner Leads NBA With 3.3 Blocks Per Game
Trade Machine Verdict? Pacers+3 WinsStarters: Schroder, Caldwell-Pope, James, Davis, TURNER
Bench: Caruso, Matthews, McKinney, Morris, Gasol
5. TRADE FOR DEVONTE GRAHAM, MALIK MONK, BISMACK BIYOMBO
Lakers get two volume 3-point shooters and capable rim protector but give up depth, perimeter defense, budding young star, and first round pick.
Third Superstar? No
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 15.4 vs. 4.9 Threes Per Game
Add Better Defense? No, Graham > Caruso
Trade Machine Verdict? Even TradeStarters: Schroder, GRAHAM, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caldwell-Pope, MONK, Kuzma, Morris, BIYOMBO
6. TRADE FOR LONZO BALL & JJ REDICK
Lakers get second playmaker and elite perimeter defender, two volume 3-point shooters but give up depth, scoring, and budding young star
Third Superstar? No
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 16.2 vs. 5.9 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Ball > KCP
Trade Machine Verdict? Even Trade.Starters: BALL, Schroder, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caruso, REDICK, Kuzma, Morris, COUSINS
7. TRADE FOR NERLENS NOEL & REGGIE BULLOCK
Lakers get elite rim protector and volume 3-point shooter but give up scoring, depth, budding young star, and second round pick.
Third Superstar? No, but Nerlens Noel is elite rim protector
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 4.7 vs. 2.1 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Noel Averages 2.0 Blocks & 0.9 Steals Per Game
Trade Machine Verdict? Knicks+3 WinsStarters: Schroder, Caldwell-Pope, James, Davis, NOEL
Bench: Caruso, BULLOCK, Kuzma, Morris, Gasol
8. TRADE FOR BUDDY HIELD & HASSAN WHITESIDE
Lakers get high volume 3-point shooter and elite shot blocker but give up scoring, depth, perimeter defense, and second round pick.
Third Superstar? No
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 10.4 vs. 6.3 Threes Per Game
Add Better Defense? Yes, Whiteside 1.3 Blocks Per Game
Trade Machine Verdict? Even TradeStarters: Schroder, HIELD, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Horton-Tucker,Caldwell-Pope, Kuzma, Morris, WHITESIDE
9. TRADE FOR EVAN FOURNIER & MO BAMBA
Lakers get volume 3-point shooter and playmaker and young shot blocker but give up scoring, depth, and budding young star.
Third Superstar? No
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 6.7 vs. 5.9 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? Yes, Bamba 0.9 Blocks Per Game
Trade Machine Verdict? Even TradeStarters: Schroder, FOURNIER, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caruso, ROSS, Kuzma, Morris, BAMBA
10. TRADE FOR WAYNE ELLINGTON & DELON WRIGHT
Lakers get two volume 3-point shooters but give up depth, budding young star, and second round draft pick.
Third Superstar? No
Volume 3-Point Shooting? Yes, 8.9 3PA vs. 2.1 Threes Per Game
Better Defense? No Difference
Trade Machine Verdict? Pistons +3 WinsStarters: WRIGHT, Schroder, James, Davis, Gasol
Bench: Caruso, ELLINGTON, Kuzma, Morris, COUSINS liked this
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Here’s my MAGNUM OPUS Trade article for this season.
PLEASE READ ARTICLE BUT PUT COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL TWEET POSTS FOR EACH TRADE. THANKS.
Goals:
1. Third Superstar
2. Volume 3-Point Shooters
3. Rim ProtectorUntouchables:
1. LeBron James
2. Anthony Davis
3. Dennis Schroder
4. Kyle Kuzma (only 1 tradeRules:
1. No more than 4 Laker players in any trade.
2. Trade must not give either team more than 3 wins.Trades:
1. Trade for Victor Oladipo and PJ Tucker
2. Trade for Kyle Lowry
3. Trade for Kristaps Porzingis
4. Trade for Myles Turner
5. Trade for Devonte Graham, Malik Monk, Bismack Biyombo
6. Trade for Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick
7. Trade for Nerlens Noel and Reggie Bullock
8. Trade for Buddy Hield and Hassan Whiteside
9. Trade for Even Fournier and Mo Bamba
10. Trade for Wayne Ellington and Delon WrightThank you for reading.
PLEASE PUT COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL TWEET POSTS FOR EACH TRADE. THANKS.
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I understand there are a lot of Lakerholics who want to run it back, arguing we won the championship last year with a team that wasn’t as good in many ways as the team we have today. And there’s a chance they might be right, providing LeBron doesn’t break down and Anthony somehow miraculously recovers and plays at the same level in the playoffs, including playing center almost 50% of the time. If you like that bet, feel free to risk losing your house to the online gambling sites.
The reality is doing nothing is a bigger gamble than hoping Oladipo will recover and be the superstar he was two years ago, or Lowry still has championship gas left in his 34 year old tank, or Porzingis will regain his elite defensive abilities he had as a Knick, etc. And if you think Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss don’t see what’s happening in Brooklyn and don’t know the Lakers chances to repeat are in serious danger, well, you haven’t been a Lakers fan for long. Lakers never hesitate to think big. Maybe not as big as Dave AKA DJ wants with Steph or Dame but big enough so were not the underdog heading into the playoffs.
These ten trades provide an excellent blueprint on whom the Lakers should target, whom they should be willing to give up as trading chips, and how much they should offer in each trade. Jamie, Sean, Gerald, and I put a lot of effort into creating original content for Lakerholics and we consider it your job to provide the comments and responses that make this site unique in the Lakers universe. I’ve often said the responses are the heart and soul of Lakerholics. It doesn’t matter if you agree with them but please, take the time to look at each trade and let me know which ones you like or hate. Cause that’s your job as Lakerholics.
PLEASE READ ARTICLE BUT PUT COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL TWEET POSTS FOR EACH TRADE. THANKS.
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Some interesting stats from the 10 trades:
Number of trades player was included:
1. Montrezl Harrell – 10
2. Talen Horton-Tucker – 9
3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – 6
4. West Matthews – 2
5. Alex Caruso – 3
6. Alfonzo McKinnie – 1
7. Kyle Kuzma – 1Best Trades for volume 3-point shooting:
1. Graham, Monk, and Biyombo – +10.5 threes
2. Ball and Redick – +10.3Trades bringing back a rim protector:
1. Myles Turner
2. Nerlens Noel
3, Kristaps Porzingis
4. Hassan Whiteside
5. Mo Bamba
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreAs great as LeBron James is and no matter what happens at the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers need the ‘real’ Anthony Davis to return if they hope to dominate the second half and repeat as NBA champions.
The single biggest major difference for the Los Angeles Lakers between the halfway point of this season versus last season hasn’t been rim protection or 3-point shooting but the play at both ends of the court by Anthony Davis. The issue for Davis this season has been injuries, which have not only had him miss 14 games, during which the Lakers went 7–7, but also led to fewer points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks than halfway through last year.
After 37 games this season, Anthony is averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.8 blocks in 32.8 minutes per game with the Lakers winning 17 while losing 6 of the 23 games he was healthy to play. After 37 games last season, Davis averaged 27.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.6 blocks in 35.2 minutes per game with the Lakers winning 29 games while losing 6 of the 35 games he was able to play.
Not only did Davis’ numbers for the first half of this season fail to match his productivity for the first half of last season, his points per game were 3rd lowest, his rebounds 2nd lowest, and his blocks lowest in his 9-year career. But the heart of Anthony’s problems this season have been the decline in his free throw, midrange, and 3-point shooting percentages from their playoff highs of 57.1% from the field, 83.2% from the line, and 38.3% from deep.
Struggling with injuries and short time off after the playoffs, Davis has seen his proficient playoff shooting falter. So far this season, he’s only shooting 53.3%from the field, 71.5% from the line, and 29.5% from 3-point range. Besides not shooting well, Anthony is not getting to the line. This season, he has averaged only 5.7 free throws per games versus 8.5 last season, despite reducing his attempts from deep from 15% to just 10% of his shots.
Anybody who’s watched the Lakers this season can see that Anthony Davis is not playing or shooting at the level he did in last year’s playoffs, which is why it’s important the Lakers don’t bring him back until he’s 100% healthy. The Lakers don’t need to be the top seed in the West to repeat as champs. They need the ‘real’ Anthony Davis playing like he did in last year’s playoffs. He may not yet be the best player on the team but he’s the key to winning.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, this season’s championship quest is going to be even tougher than last season’s battle in the bubble. The Clippers, Jazz, and Nets will present a more challenging gauntlet for the Lakers to repeat. The Lakers as a team are going to have shoot the three ball a lot better and would be wise to to add anther rim protecting center and one or two high percentage, high volume 3-point shooters to stay ahead of the competition.
The Lakers have made changes to accommodate Anthony Davis’ desire to play power forward instead of center. He’s played the five less the 5% this season versus more than 25% last season and close to 50% in the playoffs. Unless the Lakers make a surprise big move at the trade deadline, this may be the year when Anthony Davis is forced to play the five if the purple and gold are going to have a realistic chance to repeat at NBA champions.
The Lakers are going to need the ‘real’ Anthony Davis to show up and take his rightful place alongside great Lakers centers like Kareem, Wilt, and Shaq if this team is going to win their league best 18th NBA championship.
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The big question is when will AD return. If you study his stats for the regular season and playoffs, there’s some reason for concern about his decline in shooting percentages from the line, midrange, and deep since his breakout in the playoffs when he shot 57%/83%/38%. Was that a breakout or just an outlier. We all thought it was a breakout and I guess we’ll find out the second half of the season.
I still believe it was a breakout and that it was injuries that have caused the decline so far this season because it’s not just his shot. His average points, rebounds, asssists, steals, and blocks have all declined from Playoff AD. And the eyetest is telling me that the shots he’s missing are not heavily contested. They’re the same wide open shots he drained over and over in the playoffs. Count me as one who believes AD belongs in that legends picture at the top of the article besides Kareem, Wilt, and Shaq. He just might have to play a lot of center this season to get there.
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Nope. And the hope is his shooting performance in the playoffs was for real and not a fluke. Otherwise, we’re in trouble.
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I actually think LeBron’s injury happening right now could be a blessing as it should be the final straw to convince Rob and the front office to make a bold move. We need a playmaking volume 3-point shooting guard to run the offense while LeBron is out. It’s as important as an elite rim protector will be in the playoffs.
Looking at the West standings is scary. If we lose tonight, we’ll only be 2 games ahead of 7th place Spurs and 5 games ahead of the 10th place Grizzlies. That’s how tight the Western Conference is and 7th through 10th play in that win-or-go-home 2 game Play-In Tourney. Lakers don’t want to end up in that situation.
LeBron’s injury also changes our priorities. Getting another playmaker become top need right now along with a rim protector. With the deadline only 3 days away, we’re lucky the injury happened now rather than a few weeks later. Otherwise, we might have stood pat and LeBron might not have had time to get back 100% before the playoffs. Even now, both LeBron’s and Anthony’s injuries are the kind that can linger and take a long time. Not what we want to be facing going into the playoffs.
Of course, there’s a solution to the point guard and to the rim protector that won’t give up much depth so read the article and let me know what you think. Time for Rob Pelinka to earn those big bucks were playing him. I’m confident he will make big moves to help us weather the storm.