Lakerholics

A Lakers Fan Community

Luka Doncic

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

by 13 Comments

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

by 3 Comments

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

…

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

…

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.

5 Things: And We Are Rolling

by Leave a Comment

The whole Lakers team was available to play last night. Against a Jazz team that is built to bomb away from distance, the Lakers hit them inside then out as they started the game cold from three but warmed up after the half. Returning to the court was the NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer, LeBron James, and his presence did nothing to disrupt the team’s mojo. He simply added a massive IQ, talent and skill infusion to the team and looked a lot like himself by the 2nd half. The Lakers are rolling and hopefully we can keep the healthy vibes going and see what we really have to work with.

  1. LeBron’s seamless inclusion. He had some 1st quarter rust. He had some 2nd quarter adjustments. By the time the ball was inbounded to start the 2nd half LeBron was grooving. He didn’t force his offense one iota (11 points on 7 shots, 2-3 from three) and used the defensive focus the Jazz deployed against them at every opportunity. In a league where almost every team is looking to push the pace, LeBron is a cheat code in the half court off his IQ alone. Doubles came, the ball was delivered into the hands of a shooter. Paint defense collapses on his drive, LeBron dishes to a teammate for an easy bucket at the rim. He had the 3 ball working (2-3) the only issue, and he was far from alone, were the free throws (1-4). Other than that he seemed fairly on point with his defensive rotations, especially after the half where we did a better job of forcing George into tougher looks and putting a body on Lauri. He did all of his damage in 30 minutes which, if we could keep him around that mark for the season, would do wonders for his end-of-season health.
  2. Luka’s eruption. You could tell Luka was pissed after the travelling call. From there he chirped at the refs as much as I’ve seen him do this year. I think it’s something that he does try and contain but that, in the moment, can be difficult. He ended up baiting the Jazz defenders into some pretty silly fouls and turned a halftime deficit of 4 into an end of the 3rd lead of 11 we would never really come close to losing. His 17 points in the 3rd came from a variety of ways but it was clear he wanted to set an aggressive tone out of the locker room and make sure the Jazz didn’t stretch a small halftime lead into something bigger. His 4 steals helped to offset his 8 turnovers and he, along with every Laker, missed some free throws. His 34 minutes are also right in the happy place for what I think we’d all like to see his MPG land around.
  3. Reaves and his quiet 26. At one point I was watching the game thinking “man I don’t know where Austin’s offense is going to come from…” he was the leading scorer, at the time and ended with one of the more quiet 26 points on just 11 shots you’ll see in the NBA this season. Like Luka he turned the ball over way too much (4 TO’s to just 1 dime) but he made up for it efficiency and points from the stripe.
  4. Rui starts, Smart off the bench. One of the major mysteries was, for a game at least, cleared up when Redick tapped Rui Hachimura to start over Marcus Smart. For myself this was always the best route because Rui’s shooting helps keep the defense from smothering Luka and Reaves. The defensive pairing of he and LaRavia has also been an issue, so having Jake backup Rui just makes a lot of sense on both ends. Still, I won’t be too surprised if this part of the lineup gets the most tinkering going forward. I expect that, should this lineup hit a rough patch, we’ll see Redick pivot to any number of players based on what feels like the starting five is lacking. Hard to read too much into this starting unit against a team like Utah where you really do have to switch everything on account of how aggressively they shoot threes.
  5. DeAndre Ayton continues his dominance. It’s really nice having a center that can play from the 15′ range on down to the rim. There’s nothing like a Jaxson Hayes dunk, don’t get me wrong, but watching Ayton and our playmakers dissect the Utah defense, especially in the second half, was a lot of fun to watch. Ayton popped, he caught lobs, he scored off of putbacks and he continued to show just how good he can be on a team that has above average playmakers. The Lakers have 2 elite playmakers in LeBron and Luka and a bevy of secondary playmakers led by Reaves. This makes the Lakers fairly deadly in the halfcourt which is what you need to be able and fall back on in the playoffs where fastbreaks go to die.

How LeBron James Can Transform Lakers Into A Championship Team

by 4 Comments

It seems unfair to the rest of the NBA that the 10–4 Lakers, 4th in the West and 5th in the league right now, can now add LeBron James, the ultimate jack-of-all-trades basketball superstar, to their already impressive roster.

Rob Pelinka said at the start of the season that he’d wait until 20 to 25 games to see what the team needs before making decisions about possible trades. Now 14 games into the season, the Lakers’ needs have still not changed. Despite a strong overachieving start, to win a championship, the Lakers still need a 3&D starting small forward who can shut down high powered wing scorers and a shot blocking backup center who can protect the rim.

When ready, JJ Redick should start LeBron James and move Rui Hachimura to the bench for more firepower. The Lakers’ starting lineup would then be Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, LeBron James, Deandre Ayton.
The Lakers bench would be Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber with Adou Thiero pushing for minutes. Jarred Vanderbilt, Bronny James, and Jaxson Hayes would be outside the rotation.

The one question the Lakers hope to answer in the next 9 games before December 15th is whether LeBron, in short bursts, could be the lockdown wing defender and backup shot blocking center they desperately need.
As LeBron himself said, he has no problem doing whatever the Lakers need from him to help the team win, whether it be spacing the floor, cutting back door, defending at point-of-attack, or protecting the rim.

LeBron could transform Lakers into a championship team by empowering Luka and Austin’s playmaking, helping Deandre by spacing the floor and protecting the rim, and turbo-charging the bench with Austin and Rui.

LEBRON ‘OFF-BALL’ EMPOWERS LUKA & AUSTIN ‘ON-BALL’

…

In the NFL, great quarterbacks sometimes need great receivers to win. The same is true in the NBA. JJ Redick believes LeBron’s all-world off-the-ball skills could be what unleashes the on-ball wizardry of Luka and Austin.

Unlike last season when the Lakers’ three stars often appeared to be taking turns on offense, JJ Redick has been staggering Luka and Austin so one of their elite point guards is always on the court for 48 minutes of every game.
That rotation strategy as well as their ‘next-man-up’ mentality have been why the Lakers’ have the fifth best record in the league despite posting average offensive rating (#17), defensive rating (#17), and net rating (#16).

LeBron missing the first 14 games of the year gave Austin the opportunity to take his game to another level and the Luka and Austin pairing the opportunity to show they can be a championship caliber backcourt.
Despite the chaotic start, staggering Doncic and Reaves has given Redick his championship blueprint. Create an unstoppable synergy between LeBron’s off-ball GOAT skillset and Luka’s and Austin’s super playmaking.

Keeping the ball in Luka’s and Austin’s hands while LeBron plays almost exclusively off the ball is the perfect move to transform the Lakers from a finesse to a power team. LeBron James will be unstoppable off the ball.
Imagine James cutting back door, crashing the offensive boards, setting picks for Luka and Austin, then rolling to the basket where he can dunk, throw a lob for Deandre, or fire a pass to the corner for an open three.

LeBron James’ superstar ‘off-ball’ skills and talent could empower Luka Doncic’s and Austin Reaves’ on-ball magic and turn the Los Angeles Lakers into a legitimate contender for the NBA championship this season.

LEBRON AT POWER FORWARD HELPS DEANDRE AT CENTER

…

Replacing Rui Hachimura with LeBron James would transform the Lakers’ starting lineup from a mostly finesse team into more of a power team that attempts to win by ratcheting up the physicality at both ends of the court.

While offense-first Rui Hachimura is a better power forward than small forward, he’s not the perfect match front court next to offense-first Deandre Ayton since he cannot stretch the floor or protect the rim.
James replacing Hachimura would immediately upgrade the Lakers’ starting lineups’ size, athleticism, physicality, and toughness. Meanwhile, Rui gets a bigger role and the Lakers’ bench gets needed firepower.

LeBron is actually the perfect power forward to complement Deandre Ayton, who’s played great for the Lakers but lacks the ability to protect the rim and stretch the floor, which are skillsets needed to complement Luka.
Remember the version of LeBron we’re going to see is an off-ball monster. Giving point guards Luka and Austin the lethal 100% off-ball version of LeBron would be like giving your quarterback an all-world wide receiver.

Adding James to the front court and keeping Smart in the backcourt gives the Lakers’ starting lineup two elite defenders for better starting balance and versatility while moving Rui to the bench gives them needed scoring.
For now, Lakers still need to start Marcus Smart. They need a blockbuster trade for an elite 3&D small forward like Andrew Wiggins or Dillon Brooks, who would then replace the smaller Marcus Smart in the starting lineup.

LeBron James starting at power forward will make Deandre Ayton a better center and give the Lakers a legitimate championship caliber front court that can run the pick-and-roll, stretch the floor, and protect the rim.

AUSTIN ‘ON-BALL’ & RUI ‘OFF-BALL’ TURBOCHARGE BENCH

…

Right now, the Lakers’ bench ranks dead last in the league averaging just 24.2 points per game. Adding Rui Hachimura to the bench would instantly raise the team’s bench points to 40 points per game and a top10 rank.

Just like LeBron James will be the primary ‘off-ball’ target for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in the starting lineup, Rui Hachimura will now become the primary ‘off-ball’ target off the bench for Austin Reaves to optimize.
Moving Hachimura to the bench will be a challenge but Rui loves the Lakers and they need his elite 3-point and midrange shooting off bench. Assuming Rui embraces his role, give him more shots and his extension.

Since the Lakers are staggering Doncic and Reaves, it will mostly be Austin who will be paired with Rui off the bench. As a starter, Rui would have clearly been the fifth option after Luka, Austin, LeBron, and Deandre.
Coming off the bench, Rui will be the second option after Luka or Austin defended by a bench player from the opposing team. He should be able to get more and better touches and shots and be a top 6MOY candidate.

In addition to adding Rui Hachimura, the Lakers’ bench is finally getting healthy with Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero already back from injury and Gabe Vincent close to returning. Rotation changes are surely coming.
Right now, I like a bench of Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura, and Maxi Kleber with Adou Thiero pushing for minutes and Bronny James, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jaxson Hayes seeing few minutes.

LeBron James returning from injury also transform the Lakers into a championship team by replacing Rui Hachimura in the starting lineup and sending him to the bench where he will get more touches and points.

Three Imminent Deadlines Where Lakers Face Challenging Decisions

by 5 Comments

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’

…

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’

…

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

…

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.