Lakerholics

Last season, the Lakers proved the axiom that defense wins championships. This season Rob Pelinka has given the Lakers an arsenal of weapons so their high powered offense could be as good as their championship defense.

While the Lakers clearly gave up some rim protection by not bringing back McGee and Howard, they still have their best shot blocker and rim protector in Anthony Davis, who will be playing the five when they close out games. Meanwhile, the objective in basketball is still to put the ball in the basket more times than your opponent and the four players the Lakers added this offseason were dramatic offensive upgrades over the four they replaced.

1. Marc Gasol for JaVale McGee

While the individual stats don’t show it, the biggest move to transform the Lakers offense this offseason was replacing traditional center JaVale McGee with modern 3-point shooting and elite playmaking center Marc Gasol. Gasol’s ability to shoot and pass the ball from the top of the key will open the floor for Laker superstars James and Davis to attack the rim and create opportunities for cutters like Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma to get easy baskets.

While Gasol only averaged 7.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 26.4 minutes per game vs. McGee’s 6.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 16.6 minutes per game, Marc shot 38.5% on 3.4 attempted threes per game. While Marc Gasol won’t personally add many points, his ability to stretch defenses and pass to cutters will transform the Lakers offensively and give teammates better spacing and opportunities to score than last season.

2. Dennis Schroder for Rajon Rondo

The second biggest offseason move Pelinka made was trading for Dennis Schroder to replace Rajon Rondo and give the Lakers a legitimate starting point guard in his prime to take the playmaking load off of LeBron James. While Schroder is not the elite playmaker Rondo was, he’s a much better scorer, 3-point shooter, and on ball defender. He also adds an element of speed at both ends of the court the Lakers did not have last season.

Finishing second in the 6MOY competition, Schroder averaged 18.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 30.8 minutes per game last season vs. Rondo’s 7.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 20.5 minutes per game. While the Lakers may miss Playoff Rondo’s clutch savvy, Schroder is 7 years younger, will give the Lakers the third scorer they’ve been missing, make life easier for LeBron in the starting lineup, and run the team when he rests.

3. Wesley Matthews for Danny Green

Like Gasol for McGee, Matthews for Green was more about saving money and cap space and replacing a player whose productivity declined for a player who brought more offensive potential and versatility to the Lakers. By replacing Danny Green with Wesley Matthews, Rob Pelinka was able to exchange an expensive veteran shooting guard for one on a minimum contract and to steal a starting player from the rival Milwaukee Bucks.

Matthews averaged 7.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 24.4 minutes per game last season for the Bucks while Green posted 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 24.8 minutes per game for the Lakers. While Matthews’ 36.4% on 4.4 threes per game is almost identical to Green’s 36.7% on 4.8 threes per game, Wes was the better and quicker defender against big wing scorers like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

4. Montrezl Harrell for Dwight Howard

Replacing veteran backup center Dwight Howard with the 26-year old explosive, high scoring reigning 6MOY Montrezl Harrell could turn out to be Rob Pelinka’s crowning achievement of the offseason for the Lakers. While the Lakers will miss Howard’s elite rim protection, the opportunity to steal Trezz from the rival Clippers was just too tempting to pass and gives the team’s bench a needed boost in energy and scoring when LeBron rests.

Harrell averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 27.8 minutes per game with the Clippers last season while Howard averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 18.9 minutes per game with the Lakers. While Trezz is not the defender Dwight was, he will be playing alongside an elite defender and shot blocker in Anthony Davis and should continue being a high powered bench scorer who regularly dominates reserve centers.

Comparing the offensive productivity of the four players Rob added to that of the players they replaced is revealing. Gasol, Schroder, Matthews, and Harrell averaged a combined 52.4 points, 19.5 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. Meanwhile, McGee, Rondo, Green, and Howard averaged 29.2 points, 19.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. The four new players Rob Pelinka added to the Lakers posted 79% more points and 39% more assists.

That added offense from these four players translates into 23.2 more points and 2.9 more assists per game for a Lakers team that ranked 11th in the league with 113.4 points per game and 10th with 25.4 assists per game. Adding those numbers to last year’s averages would give the Lakers 136.6 points and 28.3 assist per game, both of which would rank first in the league and show how Rob Pelinka has weaponized the team’s offensive arsenal.

Lost in the discussions of how to find minutes on a championship Lakers team ten deep with proven talented players has been the more important question of what is the position Talen Horton-Tucker is best suited to play?

I think we saw the answer to that question the last three preseason games where Horton-Tucker averaged 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 steals in 34.4 minutes at point guard while shooting 53.3/45.5/89.5%. While it’s foolish to overreact to a few preseason games, what we saw in those games was exactly what the Lakers coaches and players have seen from this kid in the bubble, during the playoffs, and in practice every day.

The first time I heard the Lakers were considering Talen Horton-Tucker as the backup point guard was back in November 2019 in a YouTube stream by Eric Pincus Making Sense of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Hard Cap Moves. While discussing the Lakers depth chart for the season, Pincus said the coaches were high on THT, believed he would become part of the rotation, and could even challenge Alex Caruso for the backup point guard role

The reason Talen is even on the Lakers roster is LeBron James. “I saw him about three and half, four years ago,” James said of Horton-Tucker. “I was watching a high school basketball game and I happened to catch Simeon playing. And I told our agent at the time — it’s now Talen’s agent, Rich Paul — that he needs to take a look at this kid Talen Horton-Tucker that’s at Simeon. I think the kid is super talented. This was like four years ago.

What transpired after that may be a key moment in Lakers history as on June 20, 2019, the Lakers traded their 2020 second round pick and $2.2 million to the Orlando Magic to take Talen with the 46th pick in the draft. After spending most of his rookie year in the G-League and only playing in 2 regular season games with the Lakers, Talen got a chance to play in two second round playoff games in the bubble against the Rockets and excelled.

Thrown into the pressure cooker of the bubble playoffs, Horton-Tucker averaged 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 8.5 minutes per game, giving the Lakers a glimpse of what he was capable of doing at 19-years old. The most telling comment about what the Lakers think about Talen Horton-Tucker’s potential was what one of their coaches said to LA Times writer Dan Woike while watching him practice during the playoffs in the bubble.

Here’s the quote from Woike: Inside a convention center ballroom during the playoffs, a Lakers coach milled around the edge of a makeshift practice court. Nineteen-year-old Talen Horton-Tucker made a play, another flash of the potential that had been popping in limited minutes earlier in the bubble. And a smile crept across the staffer’s face. “That [dude] might start for us next year,” that coach, who happened to be Frank Vogel, said.

I was even more impressed watching Talen dominate the second half and lead the Lakers to a 3rd straight preseason win last night rebounding from a shaky first half off the bench instead of starting like in the first two games. After missing his only two 3-point attempts in the first half, Talen did what great players do. He put his head down and used his size and length to attack the paint, making several highlight reel layups and dishes in traffic.

While it may be awhile before he forces himself into the starting lineup, there’s no question Talen Horton-Tucker has earned a role in the Lakers’ rotation as the team’s backup point guard when LeBron’s not on the floor. While he’s capable of contributing off the ball, Talen’s handle and ability to get into the paint and make plays for himself and teammates and his upside as an elite wing defender are exactly what the Lakers need to repeat.

It almost unfair that a championship team as deep and talented as the Lakers should find a transcendent young star like Talen Horton-Tucker but like LeBron James said, “This kid is flat out SPECIAL! Mark my words.”

Maybe it’s just coincidence but could Frank Vogel’s decision to play only 9 players Friday night and 8 players Sunday night be a preview of a brilliant Lakers’ plan to manage a deep roster, load management, and Covid-19?

Friday night, Vogel played a 9-man rotation of Schroder, Matthews, Caruso, Kuzma, Harrell, THT, Cook, Cacok, and Antetokounmpo while holding out James, Davis, KCP, Morris, Gasol, Dudley, and McKinnie due to Covid-19. Sunday night, he played an 8-man rotation of Gasol, Morris, Kuzma, KCP, THT, Harrell, Cook, and Dudley while holding out James, Davis, Schroder, Matthews, Cacok, Antetokounmpo, McKinnie, and Caruso due to injury.

By limiting his rotations to just 8 or 9 players, Vogel was able to give every player an opportunity to get in rhythm and play well with the result that the Lakers won both games without playing LeBron James or Anthony Davis. With two preseason games to go, the Lakers looked like a team ready to start the season while the Clippers looked like a team going nowhere as Ty Lue played 18 players in Friday night’s loss and 17 in Sunday night’s loss.

With Talen Horton-Tucker looking like a potential star, Frank Vogel needs to find a way keep a deep and talented 11-man rotation happy and productive and give each player enough minutes and opportunities to be successful. Keeping rotations to 8 or 9 players ensures everybody gets to play at least 20 to 30 minutes per game so they can develop rhythm and rapport with their teammates. Teams usually play better with 8 or 9-man rotations.

With the early start and compressed season, the Lakers need to give LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and others who played deep into the playoffs days off and be ready to respond to players missing games due to Covid or injury. Deploying a shifting 8 or 9-man matchup rotation based on opponent could be an ingenious way for the Lakers to manage the playing time demands of a deep roster, the need to rest LeBron and AD, and the impact of Covid-19.

The way this would work is relatively simple. Assuming the Lakers decide they have 11 players to whom they want to regularly give 20 to 30 minutes of playing time, they would then rest 2 or 3 of those 11 players every game. Positional matchups and players out due to injury or Covid would obviously be factors on who would sit out. LeBron and AD would likely play against major competitors while one of them might rest against lottery teams.

So how would an 8 to 9-man shifting matchup rotation of 11 players work over the 72-game NBA regular season? How many of the 72 games would various players end up playing versus sitting out during the regular season? The math is simple. For 11 players to share an 8 or 9-man rotation, each player would have to sit out every 5th game, meaning they would play in 80% or 58 and miss 20% or 14 of the 72 regular season games scheduled.

But every 5th game is just an average. Depending on the player, their age, health, level of play, opponent, matchups, and schedule, Vogel may want specific players to sit out only every 6th game and others every 4th game. The beauty of the template is it allows the coach to fine tune the rotation to each opponent, gives every player regular chances to rest and recuperate, and ensures the players who play have enough minutes to get into rhythm.

The shifting matchup rotations give more than five players the opportunity to start and close games, allow the coach to see which player combinations work best, and help to develop teamwide chemistry, synergy, and culture. They also afford more players chances to play meaningful minutes, keep the team fresh, healthy, and engaged over the long season, and make it easier to adjust should players get injured or end up testing positive for Covid.

Championship teams commonly make personnel changes to upgrade their roster but the Los Angeles Lakers added two new players to their starting lineup who will dramatically change their style of play for the next season.

What’s more startling is how the changes will impact Lakers’ superstars James and Davis, with point guard Dennis Schroder taking the ball out of LeBron’s hands and stretch center Marc Gasol creating spacing for AD. Defending NBA champions rarely risk major changes in how they or their superstars play but the Lakers are rolling the dice and counting on Schroder and Gasol to transform how the team takes advantage of James and Davis.

So why would the Lakers make such drastic changes after winning the title? The answer is a combination of wanting to repeat as champions and protect and preserve the health and longevity of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Specifically, the Lakers believe they will be a better team and have a longer championship window if they make the game easier for their superstars by not having LeBron have to play the point and by spreading the floor for AD.

That’s why Rob Pelinka’s first offseason move was to trade for OKC Thunder point guard Dennis Schroder. The Lakers saw how Rajon Rondo made the Lakers better and the game easier for LeBron James in their playoff run. With LeBron now locked under contract for the next three years, the Lakers want to do everything they can to alleviate the workload James has to carry during the regular season to keep him fresh and healthy for the playoffs.

Replacing 34-year old Rajon Rondo with 27-year old Dennis Schroder gives the Lakers a key player whose age and championship window perfectly align with 27-year old superstar Anthony Davis, who signed a 5-year extension. While not as elite a playmaker as Rondo, Schroder is a major upgrade offensively, giving the Lakers a sorely needed third scorer and elite 3-point threat as he averaged 18.9 points per game and shot 38.5% from deep.

Besides reducing LeBron’s ball handling and scoring workload, Dennis should also give the Lakers’ starting lineup another bulldog defender who can fight through screens and relentlessly hound opposing point guards. Schroder will also allow James to focus more on the defensive side of the ball, where he remains one of the best individual and team defenders in the NBA, especially against elite bigger wing scorers like Kawhi and Giannis.

While it may seem counterintuitive to take the ball out of LeBron’s hands, the Lakers want to keep James fresh and healthy for this and future seasons and empower him to pick and choose when and where to take over games. That’s why the Lakers traded for Dennis Schroder, an elite point guard who could free LeBron James from the primary ball handling and scoring duties and optimize and extend his career and championship opportunities.

The second major offseason change the Lakers made to their starting lineup was to replace their former starting traditional center tandem of McGee and Howard with 35-year old veteran playmaking stretch five center Marc Gasol. Once again, the Lakers made a dramatic decision to change how they play because of what they learned in the playoffs, as Markieff Morris’ elite play as a stretch four/five created optimal spacing for James and Davis to dominate.

Trading two defensive stalwarts like JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard for two offensive oriented centers like Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell again seemed counterintuitive, especially for a team whose identity was defense. While McGee and Howard had become unplayable due to matchups in the playoffs, the Lakers’ decision not to bring back either of them was a surprise because coach Vogel has always made protecting the rim his top priority.

Give Rob Pelinka, Frank Vogel, and the Lakers’ front office and coaching staff kudos for accepting their closing lineup with AD as a modern center had performed better than any of their starting lineups with a traditional center. Since they wanted to preserve and protect Davis by limiting his minutes at center, the Lakers decided to replace their starting traditional center with a modern offensive center who was an elite shooter and passer like Gasol.

While he’s no longer an elite shot blocker like McGee or Howard, Marc Gasol is still a former DPOY and elite positional defender with a high BBIQ who’s also still one of the premier passing and shooting centers in the league. Marc at center in the starting lineup will enable the Lakers to play the same five-out sets their closing lineups with Davis played that spread defenses and opened up lanes for LeBron and other Lakers to attack the rim.

The additions of Dennis Schroder and Marc Gasol showed the Lakers’ front office and coaching staff were willing to make major changes not only to upgrade the defending champions’ roster but to change how the team plays. Making bold moves that dramatically affect how the team’s superstars will play is an indication of a confident franchise that’s not afraid to go all-in and make changes to improve what was already the best team in the league.

While last year’s starting lineup lacked a true point guard and modern center, the Lakers still dominated in the playoffs and won their 17th championship despite not having home court advantage or hometown fans. Armed with a dynamic young point guard in Dennis Schroder and a savvy modern stretch center in Marc Gasol, the Lakers should be even better this season and odds on favorites to win their 18th NBA championship.

The true test will be whether the moves designed to upgrade the Lakers’ surrounding cast to unleash the powers of LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be able to win in what’s looks to be another Covid-19 dominated season. We know the Lakers as an organization run every major decision by LeBron James and Anthony Davis so we have to believe the two superstars were on board with the moves and ready to embrace the team’s new direction.

While their starting lineup this season is likely to look a lot more like the rest of the league with a true point guard and modern center, the Lakers will continue to be bigger, deeper, and better than the rest of the NBA teams.

Nobody’s going to accuse Rob Pelinka of being too conservative, resting on his laurels, or standing pat when it came to deciding whom to bring back and whom to replace for the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

While he brought back 9 players from last season’s championship team, Rob approached upgrading the Lakers’ roster as if the team had fallen short and not won the battle of the bubble and posted the franchise’s 17th NBA title. He dramatically upgraded the Lakers at point guard and center, added two big time scorers to boost the team’s offense when LeBron James rested, and rejuvenated the roster with young players who fit Anthony Davis’ timeline.

Pelinka traded 33-year old shooting guard Danny Green and his first round pick for 27-year old point guard Dennis Schroder to replace 34-year old Rajon Rondo and then signed 34-year old Wes Matthews to replace Green. Then he replaced the Lakers’ old school traditional center tandem of 32-year old JaVale McGee and 34-year old Dwight Howard with 35-year old stretch five center Marc Gasol and 26-year old 6MOY Montrezl Harrell.

The impact Schroder, Matthews, Gasol, and Harrell will have on the Lakers chances of repeating can’t be overstated. Pelinka was basically able to fill all of the Lakers’ roster needs waiting for Kawhi kept them from last offseason. The Lakers not only expanded their lead but did so by stealing a key player from their top two competitors. Losing Harrell was a major blow to the Clippers’ offense and losing Matthews will clearly hurt the Bucks’ defense.

The infusion of these four new players completely changed the hierarchy of the Lakers’ roster, likely including the team’s starting lineup and rotations. Head coach Frank Vogel will have a much deeper and more versatile roster. The five players highlighted in the first row of the photo at the top of this article should be the Lakers’ new starting lineup with the five players in the second row comprising an outstanding bench in an eleven-man rotation.

Here’s where I ranked every player on the Lakers’ 2020-21 roster:

1. LeBron James. No debate needed. LeBron is simply still the best player on the planet and on the Lakers. Expect him to begin to conserve energy during the regular season and pick the time and spots to take charge.
2. Anthony Davis. Second best player in the league and a possible MVP winner this season. Will continue to play the five to close games and should be a top candidate for DPOY. Will separate himself as a player.
3. Marc Gasol. Will revolutionize the Lakers offense with his basketball intelligence, ability to space the floor, and elite passing ability. Will play more minutes and be the perfect defensive anchor next to Davis.
4. Dennis Schroder. Will start at point guard and free LeBron James from having to always handle the ball. Will play big minutes with and without LeBron on the floor. Could be serious candidate for MIP award.
5. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Will start at shooting guard and reward the Lakers for giving him the new 3-year contract. Will continue to be one of the team’s best 3-point shooters and consistent perimeter defenders.
6. Montrezl Harrell. Will come off the bench and be candidate to repeat as 6MOY. Will play starter minutes often alongside Anthony Davis or Markieff Morris. Will be solid defensively and unstoppable offensively.
7. Markieff Morris. The catalyst on offense and defense when Anthony Davis plays the five. Will be consistent part of the Lakers’ lineup to close games. Will get matchup minutes at the five alongside AD and Trezz.
8. Wesley Matthews. New and improved version of Danny Green. Will see big minutes, especially against teams with bigger wing scorers like James Harden or Kawhi Leonard. One of the team’s best defenders.
9. Alex Caruso. That Alex is now 9th on this list is a testament to how much deeper the Lakers are this season. His great defense will continue to earn him key minutes and opportunities to close games.
10. Kyle Kuzma. This is a critical season for Kyle’s career as a Laker and he will need to shoot lights out to keep his place in the rotation. He will share time with Matthews guarding the Hardens and Leonards.
11. Talen Horton-Tucker. If having a talented and versatile ten-man roster were not enough, the Lakers also have THT, whom the coaches say is going to be hard to keep out of the rotation. He’s our lottery pick.
12. Alfonso McKinnie. A 6′ 7″ small forward with athleticism, McKinnie has potential as a wing defender but could also be a placeholder in case somebody like Trevor Ariza were to become available.
13. Quinn Cook. Quinn’s contract is not guaranteed so he is a placeholder and ‘break glass in case of emergency’ player. Like Dudley, he’s beloved by teammates and a big part of the Lakers’ great chemistry and culture.
14. Jared Dudley. The best 14th man in the league, Duds is great mentor and bench coach for the Lakers who can still shoot lights out and play smart defense in a pinch. Big part of team chemistry and culture.