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JJ Redick

Four Advantages Mark Walter Gives Lakers Which Jeanie Buss Could Not

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NBA owners should be as concerned about Mark Walter’s Lakers as MLB owners are about his Dodgers because different sports and rules could still not be enough to stop him from transforming the Lakers into a juggernaut.

Mark Walter transported the Dodgers from bankruptcy to championships by investing in the best talent on and off the field and providing them with the best possible resources to help them win games and become better. Preferring to avoid publicity, Mark believes in a hands-off, resource-rich, relentlessly-innovative ownership model for both the Lakers and Dodgers where he hires experts whom he trusts to run his sports enterprises.

Whereas the Dodgers were more of a complete turnaround project, Walter sees the Lakers as a franchise that’s left championships on the court due to limited resources, conflicted ownership, and front office mismanagement. With Luka extended, the Lakers should be able to legitimately compete for an NBA championship much sooner under Mark Walter’s ownership than the 7 years the Dodgers took to finally win after coming out of bankruptcy.

While experts believe Mark Walter will find the NBA difficult to dominate because its free agency and salary cap rules are much tougher than MLB, Mark sees great similarity and synergy between the Dodgers and Lakers.
While the sports and the rules may be different, the formula to succeed in baseball and basketball are eerily very similar. Fortunately for the Lakers, the sale of the team to Mark Walter will immediately create advantages.

Let’s look closer at four strategic championship advantages Mark Walter gives Lakers that Jeanie Buss couldn’t: (1) Hiring best people, (2) embracing analytics, (3) leveraging luxury taxes, and (4) thinking outside the box.

1. Hiring Best People

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While Jeanie Buss preferred only to hire people recommended by a small group of associates, Mark Walter believes in doing whatever is necessary to hire the best people because that’s the surest way to succeed in business.

To help him hire the best people for the Lakers, Walter has already brought in Dodgers’ president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and trusted analytics guru Farhan Zaidi to be advisors during the ownership transition.
Friedman and Zaidi are the vision and brains behind the resurrection and transformation of the Dodgers and will immediately become strong voices to help Walter chart the future of the Lakers’ GM and head coach positions.

After buying the Dodgers in 2012, it only took Mark Walter 6 months before he replaced general manager Ned Colletti with a new president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who completely turned the Dodgers around.
Once the Dodgers were out of rebuilding mode, Walter hired Dave Roberts to replace Don Mattingly in 2016. Friedman and Roberts have now been with the Dodgers for nearly a decade, winning 3 of the last 6 World Series.

Less than 30 days after the NBA approved the Lakers’ sale, Mark Walter fired Joey and Jesse Buss, who had voted against the family selling the Lakers, and replaced most of the scouting department with new hires. While Pelinka and Redick were just given extensions, they’re aware Walter eventually fired each of their Dodger counterparts and replaced them with his personal choices, who’re still the team’s current GM and manager.

Pelinka and Redick will not only need to prove to Walter they’re the best people for their jobs but also that they will be excellent ‘team’ fits for his analytics-driven sports conglomerate. That could be a problem for Rob.

2. Embracing Analytics

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While the Dodgers under Andrew Friedman have fully embraced analytics and supported data-driven decision making, the Lakers under Rob Pelinka have traditionally been late to the party regarding cutting edge technology.

Friedman and Zaidi believe the Lakers’ failure to jump aboard the analytics bandwagon is one of the reasons they haven’t won as many championships as they could have won if professionally financed and properly managed.
That’s why Walter’s top priority once the league approved the Lakers’ sale was to bring Friedman and Zaidi in as transition advisors to insure that the Lakers immediately embraced analytics and data-driven decision making.

Mark Walter is what you could consider to be an analytics true believer. He still understands the value of intuition and hunch when it comes to talent evaluation but he and everyone on his team has fully embraced analytics.
Trading for Luka saved Rob Pelinka’s job with Mark Walter, who became a Lakers’ minority shareholder in July 2021, the same month Rob traded for Westbrook. JJ will be fine since he’s a believer but Rob is gone for sure.

Fully embracing analytics will dramatically change the profile of the type of basketball players the Lakers will be trying to acquire via draft, trades, and free agency going forward. Priority will be legitimate two-way players.
Right now, the Lakers’ needs are a starting 3&D small forward and backup center on defense and high volume 3-point shooters on offense. LA is 24th in attempted threes, 23rd in made threes, and 17th in 3-point percentage.

Mark Walter knows the Lakers need a blockbuster trade to be a legitimate championship contender this season. Look for analytics and data-driven decision making to dominate every Lakers’ critical trade deadline move.

3. Leveraging Luxury Taxes

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No matter what they would like you to think, there is a direct relationship in MLB and in the NBA between franchises’ ability and willingness to pay mega luxury taxes and their chances of winning world championships.

While the NBA has added harsh competitive penalties to their financial penalties for paying salaries in excess of the first apron, the NBA as a sport with just 5 starters is by far more star dependent than MLB could ever be.
That’s why, despite tougher new rules for going over the first apron, there will always be teams willing to go all-in and pay whatever luxury tax penalties it costs to put together a payroll that can win a championship.

The 2024 NBA Champion Celtics were the most recent example of a team willing to pay outlandish salaries and luxury taxes to win 1 championship, incurring over $200 million in luxury taxes from 2023 through 2026.
Boston’s prior ownership leveraged the 2024 championship into a $6.1 billion value when selling the franchise despite the reality the new owners would have to break up what was an unaffordable championship team.

The grand prize for paying mega luxury taxes for winning 4 championships goes to the Warriors, who won titles in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022, while incurring almost $700 million in luxury taxes from 2019 through 2025.
The Warriors’ current Forbes’ franchise valuation is $11.3 billion, which makes them the most valuable franchise in the NBA. The Warriors’ value back in 2113 before high salaries and luxury taxes was only $555 million.

While the Lakers under the Busses never paid mega luxury taxes, the willingness to pay mega luxury taxes has been a long-time staple of Mark Walter’s business philosophy. Expect the Lakers 2.0 to be the Warriors.

4. Thinking Outside Box

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The most underrated but perhaps most valuable advantage that Mark Walter gives the Lakers that Jeanie Buss could not is the ability to think outside of the box, to address challenges with surprising solutions.

Revealing examples of Dodgers thinking outside the box are everywhere. Their focus on recruiting international players and fans. Their innovative signing of Shohei Ohtani that deferred most of his $700 million contract.
They used advanced metrics to identify undervalued talent and optimize depth, redefined how starting and relief pitchers could be maximized, and created a championship culture through extensive team building rituals.

What Mark Walter has created through Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts is a model for sustainable business and cultural success that every owner of a professional sports franchise should study and emulate.
Walter fully intends to deploy the same business philosophies, analytics strategies, and powerhouse of resources that catapulted the Dodgers to the top of their league to transform the Los Angeles Lakers into a juggernaut.

While pulling off trades in professional sports is a mix of art and science, I’m looking forward to seeing how the change in ownership from Jeanie Buss to Mark Walter will change what the Lakers do at the trade deadline.
The moves last offseason where the Lakers used free agency to sign three important players under market value without losing any draft capital or roster depth could have been our first glimpse of the Lakers’ future.

The Lakers need a starting 3&D small forward, backup center, and more 3-point takes and makes. Look for the Lakers to focus on younger, less expensive, higher-upside type candidates in any trades they make.

Analytics Made Dodgers Champs! What Does Data Say Lakers Need?

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Analytics is the elephant in the room no NBA reporters are talking about that transformed the Los Angeles Dodgers into a championship franchise and will be at the heart of the modernization of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Mark Walter’s commitment to analytics and incorporation of data-driven decision making in his sports business empire have been the driving forces behind his success with the Dodgers and their domination of baseball. Walter believes he can apply the same sports business principles and systems that made the Dodgers world champions 3 times in the last 6 years to transform the Lakers into an NBA dynasty similar to the Dodgers.

The Lakers have been historically criticized for underinvesting in analytics infrastructure and for failing to leverage advanced metrics, predictive modeling, and smart simulation tools that could improve player selection.
That’ll change as billionaire owner Mark Walter and his transition team complete the takeover of the Lakers. While Jeanie Buss will remain as the team’s governor, Mark Walter and his team will be making the decisions.

The Lakers did a great job offseason in adding depth via free agency. As a result, the Lakers now have 10 players who are keepers — Doncic, James, Reaves, Ayton, Hachimura, Smart, LaRavia, Hayes, Thiero, and James, Jr.
That leaves 4 players and $37.5M as trading chips — Vanderbilt, Vincent, Kleber, and Knecht — plus 1 first round, 1 second round, and 4 pick swaps.
If needed, Hachimura and his $18.2M could be LA’s fifth trading chip.

The data says Lakers need better point-of-attack defense, rim protection, and 3-point shooting to contend for a title. Let’s take a closer look at how the Lakers should fill these needs and whom they should target if needed.

1. BETTER POA DEFENSE

ANDREW WIGGINS, DILLON BROOKS, & KEON ELLIS

Andrew Wiggins, SF, 6′ 7″, 210 lbs, 30-yrs, $28.2M, 4-yrs, 1.0/1.0 in 32.9 mpg
Dillon Brooks, SF, 6′ 7″, 225 lbs, 29-yrs, $21.1M, 2-yrs, 0.2/1.8 in 30.9 mpg
Keon Ellis, SG, 6′ 4″, 175lbs, 25-yrs, $2.3M, 1-yr, 0.4/1.3 in 17.6 mpg

The data says the Lakers desperately need better point-of-attack defense from their guards and forwards. They currently rank #16 with a team defensive rating at 114.0 and #20 in team steals at just 8.0 per game.

While Marcus Smart’s given the Lakers an elite point-of-attack defender at shooting guard, the Lakers are still missing a bigger wing point-of-attack defender like Andrew Wiggins or Dillon Brooks to start at small forward.
Unfortunately, both Wiggins and Brooks and their teams have gotten off to good starts so there’s no guarantee either will be available for a reasonable price at the deadline. A trade for one of them might require Hachimura.

While the Heat’s or Suns’ situations may change by the deadline, the smart move for the Lakers would be to prioritize trading for the King’s Keon Ellis who’s 4 to 5 years younger and $18M to $25M per year less expensive.
While Ellis isn’t the starting small forward the Lakers need, he projects to be as good a point-of-attack defender as Wiggins or Smart and would only cost Knecht and a first round pick, allowing the LA to keep its depth.

Despite a reputation as a ‘win now’ team, the Lakers fully understand what is happening with the speed, athleticism, and physicality of the NBA game. OKC showed everyone that youth, aggressiveness, power, and depth rule.
If the Lakers are going to use their one tradable first round draft pick, then they’re going to use it on a young promising 24-year old 3&D guard rather than on a 29 to 30-year old veteran small forward on huge contracts.

Lakers should target the King’s shooting guard Keon Ellis to bolster the team’s point-of-attack defense as well as give them another backcourt player who can shoot the three-ball with elite accuracy and volume.

2. BETTER RIM PROTECTION

ROBERT WILLIAMS III, DANIEL GAFFORD, & JONATHAN ISAAC

Robert Williams III, CE, 6′ 9″, 248 lbs, 26-yrs, $13.2M, 1-yr, 1.3/0.7 in 13.7 mpg
Daniel Gafford, CE, 6′ 10″, 265 lbs, 247-yrs, $14.3M, 4-yrs, 1.5/0.9 in 23.5 mpg
Jonathan Isaac, PF, 6′ 10″, 230 lbs, 28-yrs, $15.0M, 4-yrs, 0.5/0.4 in 10.0 mpg

When it comes to rim protection, the data says the Lakers are average at best and need better shot blocking to win a championship. Their 114.0 defensive rating is #16 and their 3.4 blocks per game #24 out of 30 teams.

While Deandre Ayton has been terrific as the Lakers’ starting center and Jaxson Hayes excellent as their backup center, neither has been able to dominate defensively and anchor the team’s defense as a rim protector.
Ayton has averaged 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals per game in 29.6 minutes while Hayes has averaged 0.5 blocks and 0.4 steals per game in 17.3 minutes.
Lakers could use an elite shot blocker and backup center for Ayton.

The Lakers’ top three candidates to be their 3rd center are the Blazers’ Robert Williams, the Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford, and the Magic’s Jonathan Isaac. Each brings something special to the table in terms of skillsets.
Robert Williams is the most athletic and an elite defender but with a devastating injury history. Gafford is a proven match with Luka Doncic. Isaac, like Williams, is uber-athletic and a great one-on-one defender.

With Ayton and Hayes playing well and James available to play small ball five, the Lakers can afford to gamble on trading for Robert Williams III, who in limited minutes would give them a world-class rim protector.
When healthy, Williams would give the Lakers a wild card center who can put a lid on the rim when needed and give the defense a high flying shot blocker who can intimidate and deter opponents from attacking the rim.

The Lakers should target the Blazers’ Robert Williams III to add elite defensive athleticism and physicality to the Lakers center rotation. Williams would give them the banger they need against bigger teams.

3. BETTER 3-POINT SHOOTING

LEBRON JAMES, RUI HACHIMURA, & KEON ELLIS

LeBron James, PF, 6′ 8″, 250 lbs, 40-yrs, $52.6M, 1-yr, 2.1/5.7 for 37.6% (LYR)
Rui Hachimura, PF, 6′ 8″, 230 lbs, 27-yrs, $18.2M, 1-yr, 1.9/4.0 for 48.5%
Keon Ellis, SG, 6′ 4″, 175 lbs, 25-yrs, $2.3M, 1-yr, 1.4/3.4 for 41.5%

From an offensive standpoint, the data says the Lakers must take and make more 3-point shots to become a legitimate championship contender. Right now, the 15-5 Lakers ranked #26 in 3PA, #30 in 3PM, and #24 in 3P%.

The good news is the Lakers 3-point shooting has finally started to improve, jumping to 38.8% since Lebron returned 4 games ago. Part of the problem is the returning players shooting as well as they did last year.
Last year, the Lakers finished the season #15 in 3PM, #19 in 3PA, and #14 in 3P% at 36.6%. Right now, the Lakers only volume 3-point shooters have been Doncic at 11.5 3PA per game and Reaves at 7.6 3PA per game.

So far this season, the Lakers have made 205 3-pointers while opponents have made 247 for a -6.9 points per game. But in the last 4 games, Lakers 3-point shooting differential has been reduced to just -2.1 points per game.
As the season progresses, the Lakers will see their threes taken and made increase considerably, with much of the increase coming from LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Keon Ellis if they successfully trade for him.

A combination of positive regression and healthy shooters should solve the Lakers’ current 3-point shooting problem. The Lakers have already established solid margins in made free throws and points in the paint.
They just need to make sure that the elite defensive players they add can also contribute offensively so that they cannot be played off the court like Jarred Vanderbilt. Lakers must add legitimate 3&D players like Keon Ellis.

The Lakers have the ability to finish in the top-10 in 3-point shooting. To accomplish that, they would need to average around 40 attempts per game, shoot around 37.5%, and successfully make around 14 threes per game.

Why Mark Walter’s Ownership Matters Both Off And On Court

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Everybody says don’t expect the Lakers to duplicate the Dodgers’ success under Mark Walter because the rules differ, but that wrongly implies that the Dodgers won because of money rather than enlightened ownership.

While the rules of the sports are different, how you build championship teams aren’t. Smart, rich owners hire savvy front office execs, who hire elite, visionary coaches and draft and trade for talented, winning players. While it’s a big advantage to be able to outspend your opponents, that’s not why the Dodgers won three of last six world series. They won because of Mark Walter’s ‘leave no stone unturned’ formula for succeeding in sports.

Under Walter’s ownership, the only word to accurately describe how the Dodgers operate is ‘relentless improvement,’ whether the front office, the coaching staff, marketing department, or every roster spot on the team.
Expect that same relentless upgrading of every aspect of the Dodgers to be ruthlessly replicated with the Lakers. It’s one thing to have the money to make changes, it’s another to have the iron will to relentless get better.

Bottom line, the full transition from the Buss family business to the new corporate version of the Lakers is now happening as signaled by the recent firing of the Buss brothers and hiring of two Dodger execs as advisors.
Mark Walter’s hiring of Farhan Zaidi (Dodger’s analytics) and Andrew Friedman (Dodgers’ operations) as transition advisors was just the first step in expanding and modernizing the Lakers’ entire front office operation.

Mark Walter will change how the Lakers’ front office works and change how the Lakers players play the game of basketball. Let’s take a closer look at why Mark Walter’s ownership matters both off and on the court.

Why Mark Walter’s Ownership Matters Off-Court

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Mark Walter’s ownership will transform the Los Angeles Lakers off-court from a closely run family business to a corporate sports powerhouse that hopefully matches his crosstown Los Angeles Dodgers in championships.

Mark Walter isn’t wasting time as the Lakers’ new owner. Less than 30 days after the NBA approved the sale, Walter fired Joey and Jesse Buss and hired Dodgers’ execs Farhan Zaidi and Andrew Friedman as transition advisors.
The Lakers have also replaced most of the scouting department who were terminated with Joey and Jesse with 3 new highly respected NBA scouts as Walter’s team reviews and revamps every department in the organization.

As a closely run family business, the Lakers have often been guilty of being unnecessarily frugal or shortsighted about investing and modernizing their front office, scouting, player development, and other key departments.
Since Dr. Buss’ death back in 2013, the Lakers have been a team without a guiding vision, on-court identity, or charismatic leader to establish a true championship culture, winning just the 1 championship in the 13 years.

That will all change with Mark Walter. The Lakers will suddenly become a feature cog in the professional sports empire that Walter is building where the teams will share championship data, resources, and philosophies.
Expect every personnel move the Lakers make before the February 4, 2026 trade deadline to be part of a new analytics data-driven decision-making process where, unlike with the Busses, everybody will be on the same page.

Under Mark Walter’s enlightened ownership and direction, the Los Angeles Lakers will finally fully embrace analytics and build an elite championship organization that along with the Dodgers will dominate professional sports.

Why Mark Walter’s Ownership Matters On-Court

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Mark Walter’s enlightened ownership will prove to be just as impactful for the Los Angeles Lakers as its been for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won their 3rd World Series in the last 6 years as part of Walter’s TWG Sports.

Walter’s company, Guggenheim Baseball Management, bought the Dodgers in 2012 and immediately made them competitive but it took 7 years of ‘relentless improvement’ before they won their first title under Walter.
Mark believes he can utilize the same blueprint or organizational system he developed to optimize efficiency and synergy and transform the Dodgers into World Champions to do the same for the Lakers but much sooner.

What the Lakers need right now is to fix their key roster issues, which are a poor starting lineup defense and an abysmal bench offense, which could be partly solved by a lineup change but ultimately will require a trade.
While LA needs major help defensively, they’re also struggling mightily with their long range shooting, which they cannot ignore. Right now, the Lakers are dead last in the league in 3-point shots attempted and made.

Walter’s enlightened ownership and analytics team building system will dramatically upgrade whom the Lakers draft and trade for as they load up on elite 3-point shooting, defensive physicality, and basketball smarts.
Some things won’t change. The Lakers will still chase superstars. They may even be willing like the Warriors to go deep into luxury tax to win multiple championships. Like with Ohtani, Mark also likes to think outside the box.

Mark Walter believes the Lakers have left championships on the hardwood. He’s confident that, through analytics and data-driven decision making, the Lakers can become just as dominant in the NBA as the Dodgers in MLB.

Three Imminent Deadlines Where Lakers Face Challenging Decisions

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The Los Angeles Lakers face three imminent deadlines where they’ll face challenging decisions about their roster makeup that could determine whether they’ll be a play-in team or legitimate championship contender.

The first of the three deadlines facing the Lakers is November 18, when LeBron James will likely make his season debut at home vs. the Jazz and coach Redick must decide who starts alongside Luka, Austin, and LeBron. The second deadline facing the Lakers is December 15, when recently traded or signed players can be traded and the team will have played the 20 to 25 games Rob Pelinka said was necessary to determine what they need.

The third and final deadline facing the Lakers is February 4, the last day teams can officially trade players and finalize exactly how much open cap space and matching salary they will be projected to have next summer.
The Lakers need to make a major consolidation trade before the deadline. Excluding Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers currently have $96.7M in expiring contracts but only $17.4M in contracts which could be traded next summer.

The Lakers have too many non-LeBron expiring contracts and too few contracts that can be traded with their three picks next summer. They need to trade some expiring contracts for contracts they can trade next summer.
Unless Giannis and Joker demand a trade, the Lakers will likely opt to trade most of their expiring contracts other than LeBron for depth, defense, and shooting while allowing some contracts to expire to create cap space.

Let’s look at the deadlines where the Lakers face challenging decisions: November 18, 2025: ‘When LeBron James returns’, December 15, 2025: ‘When 23-Game Trial Ends’, and February 4, 2026: ‘NBA trade deadline.’

1. November 18, 2025: ‘When LeBron Returns’

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November 18 is when LeBron James is projected to make his season debut at home against the Jazz and when JJ Redick will be forced to decide who will be the Lakers’ fifth starter alongside Doncic, James, Reaves, and Ayton.

Without LeBron James, the Lakers have settled on a starting lineup of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton. LeBron James will thus replace either Rui Hachimura or Marcus Smart.
Whom Redick chooses to start between Hachimura and Smart will give us a good sense of how the young coach is growing. Does he opt to go big with Rui Hachimura’s elite offense or small with Marcus Smart’s fierce defense?

What makes choosing between Hachimura and Smart a touch decision for JJ is the best version of these Lakers once everybody is healthy and they pull off a needed consolidation trade is most likely the ‘big’ version.
But right now, the eye test and numbers say JJ Redick should go small and start Marcus Smart with his elite defense and turn Rui Hachimura into the Lakers’ 6th-of-the-year candidate and instant scorer off the bench.

The Lakers’ starters have struggled defensively to stop penetration and protect the rim while their bench has struggled offensively to score, averaging a league low 24.2 points per game. The solution is obvious.
The starters need Marcus Smart, who’s #1 in defensive rating, #2 in plus/minus, and #3 in net rating while the bench needs Rui Hachimura, who’s #3 in made 3’s, #3 in field goal percentage, and #4 in points per game.

On November 18 when LeBron James returns, Lakers’ coach JJ Redick should continue to start Marcus Smart for leadership and defense while moving Rui Hachimura to the bench for more offensive firepower.

2. December 15, 2025: ‘When 23-Game Trial Ends’

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December 15 is when recently traded or signed players can be traded and when the 20 to 25 game trial period Pelinka set before the season will end. It’s also when Rob Pelinka said the Lakers should be ready to make a trade.

The return of James (as well as Kleber, Thiero, and soon Vincent) should empower the Lakers to continue winning on their current ‘60-win’ pace without having to overly rely upon their special ‘next-man-up’ magic.
While the Lakers still have 9 games remaining before December 15, their needs haven’t changed. They still need an elite 3&D point-of-attack starting small forward with size and defense-first backup center to protect the rim.

Up to now, the 10–4 Lakers have been dramatically overachieving, posting the 4th best record in the West and 5th best in the league but with just 16th best offensive rating, 14th best defensive rating, and 16th best net rating.
While the big win over the Bucks to end the road trip helped restore the team’s innate confidence in itself, the underlying stats confirm the Lakers still need a blockbuster trade to be a legitimate championship contender.

The Los Angeles Lakers have to be extremely happy with where the team is right now. Both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have elevated their games and cemented themselves as the purple and gold backcourt of the future.
With the team finally nearing full health and firmly positioned as a top-5 team in the league, the Lakers may not need to make an immediate trade on December 15 and could even wait until February 4, 2026 trade deadline.

On December 15 when most players can be traded and Rob’s 20 to 25 game trial period ends, Rob Pelinka should start pursuing a 3-for-1 or 4-for-2 blockbuster consolidation trade to position the Lakers for the stretch run.

3. February 4, 2026: ‘NBA Trade Deadline

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February 4 is the last day Rob Pelinka can officially make consolidation trades for an elite 3&D starting small forward and shot blocking backup center and finalize cap space and matching salary for next summer.

Frankly, the Lakers are in an envious position right now because they have miraculously survived a dangerous early injury and schedule nightmare to suddenly emerge healthy and hungry as the 5th best team in the league.
As long as LA continues on this current ‘60-win’ pace, Pelinka can sit back and focus on finding best deal for the starting small forward and backup center they need. For a change, Rob’s ‘best’ strategy could be to wait.

For one thing, the question that only games and wins can answer is how good could the Lakers be without any changes but with everybody healthy? The 33 games we will play before February 4 could answer that question.
A starting lineup of Doncic, Reaves, James, Ayton, and Smart could be an offensive juggernaut while Vincent, Thiero/Vanderbilt, LaRavia/Knecht, Hachimura, and Hayes/Kleber could be a dynamic bench mob if healthy.

Bottom line, while great early play by Luka, Austin, and the Lakers has raised their floor and ceiling as a team, it does not change their strong need for an elite starting small forward and shot blocking backup center to win.
The Lakers may lack the draft capital to trade for both a starting small forward like Wiggins or Brooks and a shot blocking center like Gafford or Williams. but they need to fill at least one of their holes at the deadline

On February 6, the NBA trade deadline, Rob Pelinka needs to make sure to fill at least one of the Lakers’ need for an elite 3&D starting small forward or backup shot blocking center and clean up the team’s cap for next season.

What’s Different About This Year’s Lakers Is Everything That Matters

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The Lakers have had a couple of days to recover and regroup after a very disappointing showing in the NBA Cup quarterfinals against the San Antonio Spurs.

That loss didn’t introduce anything new. It exposed the same patterns and the same defensive flaws we’ve seen before — including in the previous matchup against the Phoenix Suns, who the Lakers face again tonight.

So instead of a regular, structured game preview, this piece looks at what the Lakers can actually adjust. Specifically, the defensive issues that keep resurfacing, and the lineup or tactical changes that might help plug some of those holes.

Defense isn’t the only nut the Lakers need to crack. Both the Spurs and the Suns went with a similar approach, letting Luka score in two on two situations while focusing on limiting his playmaking. In the rematch, the Lakers will need to readjust.

That task becomes even more difficult without Austin Reaves, who will be out for at least a week while dealing with a calf strain.

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Today’s highlights:

Starting five and rotation imbalance 📊

Should Hachimura’s minutes depend on the matchup and the opponent’s defensive plan? (🎞️VIDEO)

Creating advantages out of the post (🎞️VIDEO)

Small ball as a tweak for more banshees and more Rui touches (🎞️VIDEO)

1-Starting five and rotation imbalance 📊

After the last practice, JJ Redick said the Lakers have completely lost their defensive fundamentals over the last ten games. Over that stretch, they rank as the fourth worst defense in the league. One of the biggest talking points all season has been the imbalance of the starting group, especially when it comes to skill and finesse versus defense and physicality.

The fit of Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura, two excellent finishers but not high motor defensive tone setters, is something I’ve already written about in both my 10 and 20 game checks. When you add LeBron James still working his way back from injury, plus Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, the result is one of the least aggressive starting units in the league at a time when leaning into physicality and force is a clear, established trend.

In the short term, replacing Reaves with Smart should shift that imbalance a bit, but the long term challenge will persist. Last season, Redick took pride in the team’s banshee spirit, but yesterday he admitted the Lakers simply haven’t been banshees this season. And while I agree that each player individually stepping up his effort and physicality can help, for the team to re-acquire the play hard tag they had last season, Redick will have to adjust his rotation and unleash the banshees.

Since the Lakers got healthy and since James returned to the lineup, the minutes for players I would categorize as banshees (Smart, Vanderbilt, LaRavia, Vincent, Thiero, and Kleber) have been cut roughly in half compared to earlier in the season, dropping to just 15 to 25 percent of total minutes.

And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this is also the period when the defense started to struggle. Smart missing six games during this stretch was a big hit, but Jarred Vanderbilt’s and Jake LaRavia’s minutes were also reduced compared to the first part of the season.

2-Should Hachimura’s minutes depend on the matchup and the opponent’s defensive plan? (🎞️VIDEO)

On my recent podcast chat with Jovan Buha, I mentioned that reducing Ayton’s and Hachimura’s minutes in favor of the banshees is one way to adjust the imbalance. Hachimura is averaging 33 minutes per game, and while his shooting is a crucial component that provides space for Dončić, Reaves, and James to operate on offense, there have been recent games, most notably the matchups against the Suns and the Spurs, where his role and shot diet were diminished by the way Dončić pick actions were defended.

In my 20 game check, I wrote about teams cycling between more conservative coverages like drop and more aggressive hedging or blitzing. Before the Suns game, the latter was on the rise. Then the Suns and Spurs leaned into a scheme with a long center (Mark Williams and Luke Kornet) in drop, forcing Dončić to score in two on two situations rather than trapping and allowing the Lakers to play advantage four on three basketball.

Without doubles or scrambling defenses, there were far fewer touches for Hachimura. He had just one shot attempt and went scoreless against the Suns, then scored seven points on four shots against the Spurs, posting season lows of three and eight frontcourt touches in those two games.

Ayton’s and Hachimura’s touches have been on the decline since James returned, so re-adjusting the rotation for more balance and playing both less alongside all three high usage, high touch starters is worth a try, especially against the recent tactics the Suns and Spurs applied. Defenses might stunt even more aggressively if Jake LaRavia is in the corner instead of Hachimura, but I don’t think it would drastically change the scheme.

3-Creating advantages out of the post (🎞️VIDEO)

Even if Ayton’s and Hachimura’s minutes are reduced, the Lakers still need to find ways to utilize them, especially Hachimura, even when the opponent’s strategy is forcing Dončić into a high usage scorer rather than a playmaker.

One way to do that is to feature Dončić and James in the post more, rather than spam countless pick and stack actions, because in that scenario not sending a double and defending one on one becomes a much riskier proposition. You could see the Spurs choosing to shift help from Hachimura on the weakside rather than from Reaves or Dončić, who were one and two passes away.

4-Small ball as a tweak for more banshees and more Rui touches (🎞️VIDEO)

Another way to get more minutes for the banshees is to lean more into small ball, centerless lineups like the Lakers used last season. I’m not suggesting going all in on small ball, which eventually doomed them in the playoffs, but using it as a change of pace option that could open up more minutes for players like LaRavia and Vanderbilt.

Small ball is also a way to utilize Hachimura more as a screener and a pick-and-pop option.

We’ve seen that when Smart or Vanderbilt are in small ball lineups, and sometimes even in regular lineups with Ayton or Hayes on the floor, they are the players opponents choose to guard with their big man. That forces them to become the screening partner for Dončić instead of Hachimura. This setup isn’t ideal, especially with Vanderbilt or Smart catching the ball as the decision maker, but it still creates advantages and forces four on three basketball.

Another way to utilize Smart or Vanderbilt is by using them as the second back screener in stack actions, as shown below, or by having them set corner screens, flare screens, or pin in actions.

Regardless of what the Lakers do, the recent defensive breakdowns suggest it’s probably time to reshuffle the rotation and lineups and find ways to get the banshees more involved. We’ll see some of that tonight because Reaves’ 37 minutes will have to be redistributed, but the Lakers likely need a more significant, long-term change of course if they want to meaningfully improve their defense.