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The Los Angeles Lakers badly need to acquire a starting-caliber defensive center this offseason. That deficiency was a big reason they got destroyed in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and fixing it will be job one for them.
But the Lakers also need more guard and wing depth. Another reason they did so badly versus Minnesota was their utter lack of scoring off the bench, and it resulted in them being held under 100 points in three of the five games of the series.
In other words, according to Spectrum SportsNet analyst Mike Bresnahan, the team needs to replace the skill sets of Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell, the two main players it traded this season in order to get Luka Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith. He explained the situation on a recent episode of the “Lakeshow” podcast.
“They had that guy D-Lo, they traded him a few days after Christmas, he was going to get his 14-15 off the bench, but you acquired a defender in Dorian Finney-Smith,” Bresnahan said.
“I think you make that trade 10 times out of 10, but now this off-season, to me, is chasing what they gave up in their two big trades.
“A big man who can block shots, get rebounds, maybe stretch the court a little bit more than AD could.
“And then, of course, when you unload a guy like D’Angelo, who had his faults, but he could score, 15 off the bench. Gonna be chasing, I think, those two types of players during the off-season, with not much money to spend. Yeah, I sense a trade coming for sure.”
Bresnahan mentioned Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner and the Timberwolves’ Naz Reid as two big men Los Angeles could target. However, given that the Pacers are two wins away from another trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, and given how much money Turner will likely command this summer, he may not be a very realistic option.
Reid may be more gettable, but he’s just 6-foot-9, and he isn’t an outstanding rebounder or shot-blocker, at least statistically.
Russell was often criticized by Lakers fans during his second stint with the team for his poor play during the playoffs, defensive shortcomings and what some perceived as nonchalance. But he gave the team a bona fide scoring option who would put up about 15-18 points a game, an accurate 3-point shooter and a reliable playmaker.
The team doesn’t necessarily need to replace his playmaking, but it could use a guard or wing off the bench who could crack double figures in scoring on a regular basis while also being a plus defender.
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