Lakerholics

While the Lakers lost to the Suns last night, the fourth straight dominating performance by center Anthony Davis, this time against a much tougher opponent in Deandre Ayton, was more important than winning the game.

The resurgent Lakers gave the more talented Suns everything they could handle, almost overcoming a 36-point disadvantage in 3-point shooting by making 26 more free throws and scoring 10 more points-in-the-paint. 
While the Lakers’ poor 3-point shooting doomed them to lose this game, the continued dominance by AD is looking more and more like the real thing. Last night’s performance was Davis’ best in the last four games.

Rob Pelinka has promised the Lakers would trade both first round draft picks if the team proved worthy of that investment and if the trade would actually transform the team into a legitimate championship contender. 
The Lakers should win the next 4 games and finish November 9–11, winning 7 of their last 8 games with AD as the featured superstar and proving to management the team was worthy of trading the two picks.

Here’s a three-team, three-player mega trade between the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, and Indiana Pacers that will transform the L.A. from a likely lottery team to a legitimate NBA championship contender:

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The Three-Team, Three-Player Trade

The Lakers trade Russell Westbrook and an unprotected 2027 pick to the Nets for Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry plus Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, and an unprotected 2029 first round pick to the Pacers for Myles Turner.

The trade is salary neutral for all three teams, meaning no increase in current season payroll or luxury taxes. None of the involved players qualify as recently traded or signed so there is no need to wait before trading. 
Another benefit for all the teams is the six players involved are on expiring contracts so the trade would thus be ‘cap space neutral’ and ‘salary neutral.’ Teams would have the same amount of cap space after as before the trade.

The big question is whether these three teams really want to trade. The Lakers talk about sacrificing this season to keep their picks for a mega trade this summer. Who knows what the Nets and Pacers are going to do. 
For them, the trade is not about the players coming back. Whether this trade happens or not comes down to the value Brooklyn and Indiana assign Los Angeles’ post-LeBron James unprotected first round draft picks.

This trade solves each of the team’s major personnel issues without hurting their current salary, luxury tax, or cap space situations. Lakers move Russ. Nets dump Kyrie, Pacers avoid losing Turner to free agency for nothing.

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Why the Los Angeles Lakers Make the Trade

The Lakers make the trade because it transforms them from a lottery team to legitimate championship contender. Adding Irving and Turner to James, Davis, and Walker could give the Lakers’ the league’s best starting lineup.

Swapping Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, and Kendrick Nunn for Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, and Myles Turner gives the Lakers three players who can shoot the three and a stretch five center who can protect the rim.
In addition to solid bench contributors like Dennis Schröder, Seth Curry, and Austin Reaves, the Lakers should have dramatically improved depth along with the improved versatility to play jumbo big or super small.

Besides upgrading the starting lineup and depth, the trade essentially swaps one package of expiring contracts for a different package, meaning the Lakers will still have $35 million in open cap space this summer. 
That will give them the option of using Bird rights or some or all of their $35 million in open cap space to re-sign or extend Irving, Curry, Turner, and/or Walker or use some or all of the cap space to sign free agents.

This is the perfect trade for the Lakers as it not only gives them a chance to win their 18th NBA championship this season but also gives them three elite players who could easily be valuable teammates going forward.

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Why the Nets and Pacers Make the Trade

The Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers are interested in trading with the Los Angeles Lakers for one simple reason. They both want the opportunity to trade for the Lakers 2027 and/or 2029 unprotected first round draft picks.

The reason these picks are projected to be so valuable is the fact that they’re unprotected and are for seasons when superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis will both likely have retired and no longer with the team. 
Opposing teams remember the Lakers picking 7th, 2nd, and 2nd in the NBA Draft in the years immediately following Kobe Bryant’s retirement. That’s why there’s so many teams looking to acquire those Lakers picks.

Like the Lakers, the Nets and the Pacers will also appreciate that the trade does not affect the team’s current salary, luxury taxes, or open cap space. What it does do, however, is accomplish major goals for both teams.
For the Nets, the main goal is to get rid of Kyrie Irving so they can move on. For the Pacers, it’s getting maximum return for center Myles Turner so they don’t have to risk losing him for nothing in free agency this summer.

The Nets want to dump Irving and the Lakers are their only possible trading partner. The Pacers want to move Turner before they lose him for nothing in free agency. What they both want are the Lakers’ picks.

It’s a tiny 3-game sample size early in the season but watching Anthony Davis dominating in the post like Shaquille O’Neal has hopeful Lakers fans wondering if rookie coach Darvin Ham has figured out how to unlock AD.

Davis sudden breakout play couldn’t have come at a better time for the Lakers as early injuries, poor shooting, and a tough schedule put them in a 2–10 hole that had the front office questioning if the season could be saved.
Two injury-plagued losing years fueled by self-inflicted mistakes had paralyzed the Lakers’ front office with some wanting to move forward with a mega trade and others to save the picks for a major rebuild next summer.

With a 3-game win streak, the 5–10 Lakers have 5 games left — Suns, Spurs, and Spurs on the road and the Pacers and Blazers at home — of the 20 games Pelinka said he would give the team before any trade decisions. 
Could the Lakers do the impossible, upset the Suns tomorrow night in Phoenix, trounce the Spurs twice in San Antonio, and finally come home to Los Angeles to beat the Pacers and Blazers and finish November 10–10?

The 10–6 Suns have struggled recently going just 5–5 over their last 10 games although they are 8–1 at home, where they will play the Lakers tomorrow night. It’s still unknown whether LeBron will play tomorrow.
The Lakers and Anthony Davis will have an opportunity to see how their new winning formula works when they’re playing an elite team like the Phoenix Suns with an elite quality starting center like Deandre Ayton.

The Lakers have a legitimate opportunity to climb out of the early 2–10 hole they dug themselves because Anthony Davis was able to take the baton from an injured LeBron James and dominate like Shaquille O’Neal.

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What Are Differences Between ‘Shaq AD’ and ‘Bubble AD?’

So how does the Shaquille O’Neal version of Anthony Davis that we’ve seen the last three games compare with the Bubble version of Anthony Davis that along with LeBron James earned the Lakers 18th NBA championship?

While it’s only been three games, the eye test suggests Shaq AD could be better for the Lakers than Bubble AD as he appears to be taking more shots at the rim and fewer long twos and threes, which is far more efficient.
A quick look at the stats confirms during the last three games that Davis is shooting 73.5% of his shots within 5 feet of the rim compared to just 55% during the 2019–20 regular season and 33% during 2019–20 playoffs.

By focusing his offense more on attacking the paint and rim and less on taking long midrange twos and threes, Anthony Davis has dramatically changed his game and made himself a more dangerous low post threat.
That’s why comparing Anthony Davis’ new game to the dominant game of former Lakers’ center Shaquille O’Neal, who basically took half of his 20 shots within 5 feet and half within 9 feet of the rim, makes sense.

During the three-game stretch, Anthony Davis has averaged 35.0 points, 17.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.7 blocks in 31.8 minutes per game. That represents his best three game stretch wearing purple and gold. Because he’s taking a higher percentage of his shots closer to the basket, Davis was able to hit 61.7% of his field goals during the three games and attack the offensive backboards to average 5 offensive boards per game.

While it’s only been three games, it does appear the Darvin Ham has figured out how to unlock Anthony Davis by having him play more like Shaquille O’Neal and take more shots at the rim than the perimeter.

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(2019–20 Season) 26.1/9.3/3.2 shooting 50.3%/33.3%/84.6% on 17.1/3.5/8.5
(2010–20 Playoffs) 27.7/9.7/3.5 shooting 57.1%/38.3%/83.2% on 17.1/2.2/8.4

(2022–23 Season) 25.6/12.0/2.4 shooting 55.4%/21.1%/81.4% on 17.8/1.4/6.9
(Last 3 Games) 35.0/17.3/2.0 shooting 61.7%/0.0%/91.2% on 20.0/1.0/11.3

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What Happens When LeBron James Returns From Injury?

It’s been a long time coming because of injuries and poorly constructed rosters but it finally looks like Anthony Davis is ready to take the baton from LeBron James as the face and alpha superstar of the Lakers.

Like the transitions of many great sports figures, Davis’ ascension to the throne as the Lakers lead superstar was facilitated by untimely groin and foot injuries to LeBron James that opened the door for AD to dominate.
The big question for Darvin Ham and the Lakers is now how to re-integrate LeBron James into the rotation without taking away the critical touches and possessions that have allowed Anthony Davis to dominant in the paint.

Until the last three games, Anthony Davis averaged 17.8 field goal attempts per game compared to LeBron James’ 21.9 field goal attempts per game. In those three games, AD raised his total shot attempts to 20.0 per game. 
Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves also got additional shot attempts due to James being out with injuries. The key strategy for the Lakers going forward may be for LeBron to return as more of a facilitator than scorer.

In many ways, shifting the focus of the Lakers’ offense from LeBron James to Anthony Davis has been the team’s goal since winning their 18th NBA championship in the bubble in 2020 so it’s great he has this opportunity. 
Fortunately for the Lakers, LeBron James has always envisioned Anthony Davis taking over the baton from him so it’s likely he’ll appreciate the opportunity to step back, play fewer minutes, and let AD dominate.

The Lakers need to make sure re-integrating LeBron James back into their rotation will not take away from the monster impact that Anthony Davis playing like Shaquille O’Neal could have on the Lakers playoff hopes.

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Can Shaq Version of Anthony Davis Lead Lakers to Championship?

Lakers’ management and fans losing faith that Anthony Davis would take the baton from LeBron James as the team’s next transcendent superstar player was obviously a way-too-early knee-jerk reaction to a tough start.

And while three games is not a fair sample size, the results clearly show that Anthony Davis can be as dominant as any superstar in the league. Most pundits have already restored him to his former top-five NBA player status.
The timing of Davis sudden takeover of the team could not be better for the Lakers and LeBron James, who now can take whatever time he needs to heal his groin and foot and hopefully go on cruise control until playoffs.

With Father Time relentlessly undercutting James’ health and athleticism, now is the ideal time for the Lakers to shift focus of their offense to AD with LeBron focusing more on playmaking and defense than scoring.
Just a side note but you have to wonder whether LeBron might resist a role because of how close he is to breaking Kareem’s scoring record. There are many smart reasons for the Lakers to scale LeBron back in regular season.

While Anthony Davis still has to prove he can stay on the court, he’s finally looking like the top-five player he used to be before the last two frustrating injury-filled years. Tomorrow night against Ayton will be a big test.
Anthony Davis knows he’s had a huge physical edge over his opponents in the last three games. Deandre Ayton and the Suns will be as good a quick test on whether Shaq AD is good enough to lead the Lakers to victory.

Anthony Davis has the talent to take the baton from LeBron James and become the team’s go-to player. If Davis can dominate Deandre Ayton tomorrow night, he may be ready to lead Lakers to a championship.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets are both broken teams with toxic superstars. For the Lakers, it’s Russell Westbrook who’s a terrible fit. For the Nets, it’s Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons who’ve become pariahs.

As crazy as it might initially seem, the best possible solution for the Lakers and Nets could be to help each other by swapping their problem superstars. Neither is going to be able to make a better trade with any other NBA team.
The proposed trade involves the Los Angeles Lakers trading Russell Westbrook plus Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons in straight deal without any draft picks.

How ironic that the two franchises with the superstar big threes and grand hopes of meeting in the NBA Finals are now viewing each other as possible trading partners to extract them from their self-inflicted trading wounds. Could the reunion of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant be the fresh start solution the Nets need? Could adding Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons to LeBron James and Anthony Davis transform the Lakers into contenders?

Let’s take a closer look at why the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets should be willing to make the proposed trade and how the trade would impact both teams’ prospects both in the short term and long term.

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Why the Los Angeles Lakers Should Make the Trade

The Lakers make this trade because it lets them to have their cake and eat it too. The trade not only transform the Lakers into legitimate championship contenders but it also allows them to keep both of their first round picks.

The opportunity to trade Westbrook, Beverley, and Nunn for a toxic Irving and toxic Simmons could be another lethal misfire like trading for Russell Westbrook or a case of the lucky Lakers making lemonade out of lemons.
But the opportunity to acquire two players with superstar talent could be an irresistible opportunity for the Lakers, especially since the trade would enable them to keep both their 2027 and 2029 first round draft picks.

Trading for two troubled superstars like Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons would be an incredibly risky gamble by a Lakers’ front office whose poor roster construction has resulted in two injury and loss filled seasons.
But the reward of not having to give up their 2027 and 2029 first round picks is the grease that makes the trade worth the huge risk for the Lakers and is worth taking on toxic Irving for a year and troubled Simmons for 3 years.

The Lakers would be gambling that adding Irving’s scoring and shooting and Simmons’ size, playmaking, and defense would be a critical first step to transform the current squad into a legitimate championship contender.
The wild cards that make such a trade even conceivable from the Lakers’ point of view is Irving’s history with James and the team’s close alliance with the Klutch Sports Group, agents for James, Davis, and Simmons.

The Lakers rarely hesitate when given an opportunity to trade for superstar talent. The opportunity to acquire Irving and Simmons for Westbrook and filler without including any picks would be one the Lakers could not resist.

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Why the Brooklyn Nets Should Make the Trade

The Brooklyn Nets make this trade to replace two players in Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons whose personal toxic problems have derailed the team’s season and threatened its relationship with superstar Kevin Durant.

For the Brooklyn Nets, this trade is about salvaging their relationship with mega superstar Kevin Durant and making moves to stabilize the roster and give KD trust and confidence the franchise is moving in the right direction.
The first step in doing that is to move Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. Irving burned his bridges in Brooklyn with his support of an anti-Semitic film and Simmons with his mental inability to shoot while on the court.

Other than the Lakers, there may not be any NBA teams willing to trade Kyrie Irving or Ben Simmons considering their toxic baggage. Irving is on an expiring contract but Simmons has 3-years and $113 million left.
What’s fascinating is there’s a case to be made that Westbrook playing alongside Durant could be a good fit on the Nets, who will need a starting point guard after trading both Irving and Simmons to the Lakers.

Westbrook is no longer a major negative factor when he pays thanks to the intervention of Lakers rookie head coach Darvin Ham, who convinced Russ to come off the bench, where he’s played like the 6th Man of the Year.
A possible reunion of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant could be the exact type of landscape change the Brooklyn Nets need. Westbrook’s relentless energy would be a welcome change from Irving and Simmons.

The Nets and Kevin Durant need a fresh start and the best way to do that would be to trade the toxic Irving and dump the broken Simmons and his 3 years and $113 million on the Lakers for Westbrook, Beverley, and Nunn.

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Pelinka sagely preaches patience as the proscribed best case cure for the disastrous reckless actions last offseason that led to what could easily be the worst season in the modern history of the Los Angeles Lakers. 

But Pelinka now has reason to be patient, buoyed by Sunday night’s big win behind Anthony Davis, four days off to integrate now healthy Dennis Schröder and Thomas Bryant, and a favorable schedule the next 7 games.
We’ve learned every ‘if’ is a big ‘if’ with the Lakers but if Davis can continue to play at a high level and James, Schröder, and Bryant are healthy and ready to play, the Lakers could win 6 of next 7 and end November 9–11. 

Seeing the Lakers turn their early season around would be certainly be welcome news for the Lakers’ front office that’s been under siege for their questionable roster construction and poor personnel decision making. 
The improvement should allay any fears the Lakers’ front office may have had as to whether the current roster, including superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, was worth investing two very valuable draft picks.

What’s known for sure is the Lakers’ current roster needs more size and better shooting to be a legitimate championship contender. The bigger question is can this front office trade for the ‘right’ players this time? 
The options of tanking this season to accumulate cap space and draft picks to fuel a monster makeover next summer or trading LeBron James and/or Anthony Davis and rebuilding were always just click-bait pipe dreams.

Bottom line, the Los Angeles Lakers have no viable options other than to trade Russell Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 first round draft picks. Here are five key reasons why the Lakers ultimately make the big trade:

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1. Reassure Fan Base Lakers Always Play to Win the Championship

Jeanie Buss is proud to say that the Lakers never tank and the single biggest reason the Lakers need to trade Russ and their two picks is to reassure their fanbase they always play to win the championship and will never tank.

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2. Strengthen Image of Lakers As Home for NBA’s Greatest Superstars 

Jeanie also wants the Lakers to be where great NBA superstars want to go and going all-in and trading Russ and the picks to help LeBron is exactly the move that will make future superstars want to wear purple and gold.

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3. Keep Promises to LeBron James to Trade Picks to Upgrade Roster

The Lakers know keeping their promise to LeBron to trade the picks has to be done. Not keeping that promise would be lethal to their relationship. That’s why the Lakers have no choice but to trade Russ and the picks.

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4. Solidify Mutually Beneficial Relationship with Klutch Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers and Klutch Sports Group have built a powerful alliance that has been mutually beneficial to both organizations. Lakers need to trade Russ and picks to solidify their relationship with Klutch.

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5. Ensure Pelicans Don’t Swap Picks to Draft Victor Wembanyama

The Lakers biggest fear if they do not trade Russ and the picks to get better is that they may end up so deep in the lottery that they might end up giving Victor Wembanyama as an additional piece in the Anthony Davis trade.