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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreCould the Los Angeles Lakers trading for Myles Turner resolve the ongoing internal conflicts caused by head coach Frank Vogel wanting to play two bigs and superstar center Anthony Davis prefering to play power forward?
While the Lakers initially committed to moving Davis to the five to make the trade for Westbrook work, unexpected early season injuries and Vogel’s stubborn reluctance to play small ball have so far undermined the decision. Frank’s always been true believer that defense starts with rim protection, which is why his first instincts are always to go big rather than small, despite the Lakers having protected the rim better when playing small than big.
While Anthony Davis is better playing center than power forward, let’s examine whether the Lakers could be better if they were to trade for Turner so AD could play his preferred four and Vogel his preferred two bigs.
What Are the Pros and Cons of a Turner and Davis Twin Towers?
Trading for Myles Turner and starting him at center could be a franchise defining move that would stabilize, diversify, and upgrade the Lakers’ front court and make them championship contenders for the next five years.
Aside from enabling Vogel to play two bigs and Davis to play the four, Turner at the five would immediately give the Lakers the defensive rim protector and offensive floor spacer they’ve been trying to acquire the last three years. Adding the 25-year old Turner’s league third best 2.7 blocks per game and 41.2% 3-point shooting on over five threes per game would transform the Lakers’ defense and offense for this season and the foreseeable future.
Suddenly, the Lakers would have their own version of a twin towers front court with the 25-year old Turner and the 28-year old Davis who could put a lid on the basket defensively while still being able to play five-out offensively. Starting Turner at the five would enable Davis to limit his minutes and avoid the banging of playing center and let James focus on playing point forward and becoming the elite 3&D wing the Lakers have desperately needed.
The Lakers’ roster right now badly needs bigs who can protect the paint and stretch the floor like Myles Turner instead of low post traditional centers like DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard who can be played off the court.
Will Turner Be Available and Do the Lakers Have Enough Assets?
The Lakers have long coveted Myles Turner as the perfect defensive rim protector and offensive floor stretcher. The upcoming trade deadline may be the perfect opportunity for the Lakers to make a mega trade for Turner.
The Indiana Pacers are off to a 3–7 start under returning head coach Rick Carlisle, which makes them 13th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference, still struggling with the difficult on-court fit between Sabonis and Turner. While Carlisle was brought in to make the Pacers’ two 7-foot 250 pound centers work, he’s already started to stagger Turner’s and Sabonis’ time on the floor to avoid those troublesome, inefficient twin towers lineups.
Unless something changes before the trade deadline, the Pacers are almost guaranteed to look to move Turner since Sabonis is the franchise player. With strong interest in Turner, could the Lakers make a competitive offer? The answer is the Lakers could and should go all-in for Myles Turner. The Lakers should offer Talen Horton-Tucker ($10M/Year), Kendrick Nunn ($5M/Year), and Malik Monk ($2.6M/Year) for Myles Turner ($18M/Year).
Next to LeBron James, Myles Turner is the best possible fit next to Anthony Davis in the league today. He is the perfect front court mate to play next to AD and lead the Lakers to championships for the next five years.
How Would Turner Trade Impact Lakers’ Championship Quest?
Trading for Myles Turner is the Lakers’ guaranteed ticket to a championship. He not only makes the Lakers a juggernaut offensively and defensively but also saves wear-and-tear on injury prone LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Myles Turner could have a bigger impact on the Lakers’ championship hopes than Russell Westbrook because he helps solve some of the serious floor spacing and perimeter defensive problems caused by the trade for Russ. Integrating Turner would be child’s play compared to integrating Westbrook. Myles’ 41% 3-point shooting will help the Lakers’ starting lineup spacing while his 2.7 blocks per game will help their perimeter defense.
While the Lakers would give up the 20-year Horton-Tucker, the 26-year old Nunn, and the 23-year old Monk, they would be getting the durable 25-year old Myles Turner, who has averaged 65 games over his six-year pro career. While giving up a home grown star like THT is painful, he’s still two or three years away from being a starter and Nunn and Monk don’t have Bird rights so there is no realistic way the Lakers would be able to keep them.
What it comes down to is the Lakers would be trading the tomorrow of 20-year old Talen Horton-Tucker for the today and tomorrow of 25-year old Myles Turner and an improved chance to win their 18th championship.
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6 Comments-
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Aloha Tom, I’m sorry but that would be terrible for the team. It’s painfully clear so far that the Lakers need more guys not named LeBron that create offense. Your trade sends all 3 of those guys on the team away. It’s clear that we need a better defender than Bazemore for the smaller quick guards in the league. Nunn is the one guy on the team capable of doing that but your trade sends him away. We need more wing defenders. THT is a wing defender but he’s gone. And these moves elevate a clearly washed Rondo into the back up point guard spot. I think once we actually are healthy we will see AD playing most of his minutes at center. He actually is, even though he’s not starting.
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Thanks for reading and commenting, Michael. We’ll have to disagree. Adding Turner solves so many problems that it’s unquestionably a massive upgrade to our rim protection and floor spacing as well as a big help keeping LeBron and AD healthy.
I don’t have your faith that Nunn can be our starter at the 2 because he is too small and not a good defender. I also doubt that THT can be the starter because he is not a good enough 3-point shooter. Finally, I think Monk has already shown that he is a liability on defense.
Bottom line, THT is not ready to start and Nunn and Monk don’t have Bird rights so are only rentals and will leave for free agency this summer. Better to cash them in now. There is no trade the Lakers can make that will have the positive impact on the Lakers’ championship hopes or LeBron and AD’s health than Myles Turner.
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Turner is going to be traded and the team that gets him will become a contender. Lakers would be pressed to have enough to trade for him, especially if THT makes himself untradeable. But adding Myles still makes a world of sense when you consider what Frank, LeBron, and Anthony prefer to play.
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Honestly I don’t think our paint defense is as bad as it looks. it’s mostly because we’re getting blown by on the perimeter, back door cuts for easy buckets when the big gets pulled out of the paint on a switch and things like that. Lakers a re a top 10 in blocks team, we’re doing a decent job at the rim. Leak outs, bad perimeter D and things of that nature are what’s sinking the ship.
Not sure there’s a single player that can repair this issue, honestly. We’re old and a lot of the guys are on minimum deals. This is untenable situation magnified by injuries.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreWith superstars Russell Westbrook at the one, LeBron James at the four, and Anthony Davis at the five, the Los Angeles Lakers desperately need to find starters at the two and three who can space the floor and play elite defense.
The Lakers originally hoped Wayne Ellington might start at the two and Trevor Ariza at the three but both have been injured and have yet to play. There have also been concerns about Wayne’s defense and Trevor’s health. Right now, Vogel has settled on Avery Bradley and Kent Bazemore to start at the two and three with the Lakers’ three superstars. Whether they can hold onto those jobs when Ellington and Ariza get healthy is up for debate.
With three superstars who are not elite 3-point shooters and a defense first head coach like Vogel, the challenge facing the Lakers is to find starters at the two and three who are both elite defenders and long range shooters. Whether Vogel can find the right starters at the two and three with the shooting and defense to complement James, Davis, and Westbrook from the collection of aged shooters the Lakers signed as free agents is doubtful.
In the end, the Lakers need younger, more talented starters at the two and three than Bradley and Bazemore or Ellington and Ariza. Here are two key trades that would dramatically upgrade the Lakers’ starting lineup.
1. TRADE WITH BOSTON CELTICS FOR MARCUS SMART
With Boston’s early struggles and Marcus Smart’s dissatisfaction with his role, could the Lakers lure the Celtics to trade the 27-year old shooting guard for 20-year old Talen Horton-Tucker and 23-year old Malik Monk?
Giving up two promising young stars in their early 20’s would be a high price for an elite defender and average 3-point shooter like Smart but Horton-Tucker is still two years away and Monk too expensive for Lakers to re-sign. The Lakers are in full win-now mode with the Westbrook trade and adding Smart as a lockdown defender and starter at the two would enhance Los Angeles’ chances of winning another championship in the LeBron era.
As a member of the 2019 and 2020 NBA All-Defensive First Teams, Marcus Smart could be the perfect shooting guard for the Lakers considering his elite defense. He’s not a great 3-point shooter but is not afraid to let shots fly. Smart would give the Lakers the elite defensive stopper at guard they currently do not have. While Marcus only shot 34.7% from three the last three seasons, he did still average almost 5.5 3-point attempts per game
Tempting the Celtics to trade an elite defender like Smart would be costly. Offering a package of two budding young stars in Horton-Tucker and Monk should be enough to convince the Celtics to move Marcus Smart.
2. TRADE WITH ATLANTA HAWKS FOR CAM REDDISH
With the Atlanta Hawks hesitating to give Cam Reddish an extension, the door may be open for the Lakers to offer a straight up trade of combo guard Kendrick Nunn for 6′ 8,” 217 lb 4-year veteran small forward Cam Reddish.
Since the Lakers will likely not be able to re-sign Nunn, whom they signed with their $5 million MLE this offseason, flipping him for the bigger Reddish whom they would be able to re-sign would be a smart move going forward. The Lakers’ greatest weakness is a lack of wings who have the size to defend the bigger wing scorers in the league like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, Brandon Ingram, Chris Middleton, and DeMar DeRozan.
Cam Reddish is the perfect defense first candidate to start at the three just as Marcus Smart is the perfect defense first candidate to start at the two. Both are elite defenders but high volume, low percentage 3-point shooters. Reddish has great potential defensively and if he continues to improve his 3-point shooting, he could become an invaluable starter on a championship Lakers team. For sure, he would give the Lakers an elite wing defender.
With the Hawks having issued expensive extensions to Trae Young, John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and Clint Capela, there’s a good chance the Lakers could trade Kendrick Nunn for Cam Reddish to be their starting three.
SMART AND REDDISH WOULD UPGRADE LAKERS STARTERS
Imagine a new lethal Lakers’ starting lineup for the second half of the season with Russell Westbrook at the one, Marcus Smart at the two, Cam Reddish at the three, LeBron James at the four, and Anthony Davis at the five.
Trading for Marcus Smart and Cam Reddish would give the Los Angeles Lakers a dramatic upgrade at starting shooting guard and small forward over Avery Bradley and Kent Bazemore or Wayne Ellington and Trevor Ariza. More importantly, the trade would only cost three young players, two of whom the Lakers would not be able to re-sign next summer, and allow them to keep Bradley, Bazemore, Ellington, and Ariza as valuable backups.
Having traded THT and Monk for Smart and Nunn for Reddish, the Lakers would then have 14 active players on their roster and one opening. Here is what their depth chart would look like for the second half of the season:
PG: WESTBROOK, Rondo, Reaves
SG: SMART, Ellington, Bradley
SF: REDDISH, Bazemore
PF: JAMES, Anthony, Ariza
CE: DAVIS, Howard, JordanTrading for Smart and Reddish dramatically upgraded the Lakers’ starting lineup, especially defensively. They essentially replaced two starting role players with two elite defenders better equipped to win a championship. The Lakers also replaced two key young players in Nunn and Monk whom they were sure to lose to free agency next summer with two tradeable young players who are better fits for what the Lakers need going forward.
Rob Pelinka knew the roster he gave Frank Vogel was a flawed roster that would have to be corrected at the trade deadline or buyout market. Right now, Smart and Reddish top the Lakers’ list of likely trade targets.
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6 Comments-
While it’s great to see the Lakers Superstar Big Three play well together, 7 points from Baze and 2 from Bradley is not the kind of role player support we need to win a championship.
The Lakers are going to need to make moves to upgrade the shooting guard and small forward starters. Bazemore and Bradley are obviously the best option we have right now. Time will tell us whether Ellington and Ariza are better options. Frankly, I don’t think any of these four players are good enough.
I’m still struggling with the Lakers serious lack of trading chips at the deadline and the reality that there is almost no way they will be able to re-sign Nunn or Monk because they lack Bird rights. The Lakers need to flip both players for guys whom they will have Bird rights and be able to re-sign.
With Vogel now committed to going small and playing AD at the five, the Lakers need much better defense from the starters at the two and three than Bazemore, Bradley, Ellington, or Ariza can likely provide. The smart move is to trade THT, Nunn, and Monk for two new starters with the other four guard/wings becoming the Lakers’ depth at the two and three.
There are and will be other potential candidates as Lakers’ starters at the two and three but right now, the best prospects are Marcus Smart and Cam Reddish. Trade for them and the Lakers will immediately be the favorites to win their 18th NBA championship and will have set themselves up for more titles going forward.
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Aloha Tom, at this point I’m just interested in what we look like once we get all our guys back. THT, Nunn and Ellington should all be back in the next couple of weeks. I have a feeling we will be okay. The bigger question for me besides our lousy first half defense, was how do we get other players involved in the offense. Melo is arguably the hottest shooter in the NBA and we only managed to find him for 9 shots in 29 minutes. We ran almost no actions for him. Heck DJ got up 5 shots in 16 minutes. AD and Russ went 0 for 7 from 3. Neither are shooting well enough to be taking many 3’s. We got away with our big 3 dominating but when play better defense teams we really need to get more players involved in the offense.
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Thanks for reading and commenting, Michael. Hope all is going well for you in Hawaii.
We’ll have to disagree as I’m not convinced that Bradley/Bazemore or Ellington/Ariza are good enough to start on a championship team in a non-Covid season. Seriously, are they better than KCP/Kuzma? I can say for certain that adding Smart and Reddish would be a dramatic upgrade to our starting lineup. I’m surprised you don’t see that.
While I am a firm believer that Russ will be a major upgrade over Schroder, I think the competition now that we’re not in the bubble has gotten dramatically better and winning a championship will be harder than in the bubble, even with a superstar big three.
The other issue I know we differ on is THT. While I love Talen’s game, he’ needs to improve his shooting and defense and is still a couple of years away from being a force. For the win now Lakers, we can’t wait.
Finally, there’s no way we’re going to be able to keep Nunn or Monk due to no Bird rights so it makes sense to flip them for better starters who have Bird rights so we can build a roster for longterm.
Could we trade for Smart and Reddish? I think we can but there are also other players out there who would be good fits for the Lakers. Vogel will demand they be elite defenders. I still have interest in Myles Turner and Kelly Olynyk as centers. And we definitely need a bigger (6′ 8″) defensive wing like Reddish.
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Still 6 weeks before we can even entertain the notion and we haven’t even seen 3/5 of the guys who were projected as potential starters or the higher contract signees play, yet.
Smart would indeed be awesome but there’s no way Brad is trading him to us to help us pass the Celtics. Any dream deals with the Celtics are DOA, my man.
Cam would be cool, as well, maybe Atlanta wants to flip him for something but since they’d be in the same boat as us (young player, no rights, how top keep?) I think they’re really just going to let the market dictate his value next summer and be just fine with that. Maybe if we grease the wheel with a 2nd round pick but not too sure that really moves the needle and there are teams that could do better on both the player and pick front.
The issue isn’t just all the minimum deals it’s that the guys on value contracts aren’t even playing yet. Who wants to trade a proven commodity coming off an injury before they’ve seen them play at least a little. The injuries to those 2 guys specifically has set everything back until they play at least a handful of games, maybe more.
Lakers may have to make do with what’s in-house, maybe look to buyout/waive Dwight or DAJ and just be active on the buyout market in a few months.
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Thanks for reading and commenting, Jamie. The easy answer is always that the Lakers don’t have what it takes to make the trade. I think the Celtics would be very interested in being able to swap Smart for THT and Monk. That’s a lot of talent for a player who’s becoming a problem in the locker room. And Nunn for Reddish is a move the Hawks would likely welcome.
The issue for me is two-fold. First, I don’t think Bradley/Bazemore or Ellington/Ariza are good enough to win a championship. They’re basically just this season’s versions of KCP/Kuzma. The Lakers need UPGRADES to the starting lineup, Jamie. Not placeholders. Smart and Reddish would be dramatic upgrades. Those are the kinds of players the Lakers need to add to the starters.
Second, I don’t want to go into the offseason with zero trading chips, which is what is going to happen to us when Nunn and Monk, two players who we don’t have any Bird or early Bird rights to be able to compete to re-sign them. We need to move them at the deadline – as well as THT – to get players to upgrade our starting lineup. This is not the bubble and we right now are not good enough to win a championship without changes. Our competition is not going to stand pat. Nor should we.
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re: Smart. Brad Stevens won’t trade him to the Lakers for any reason at all. He will not be complicit in us winning another banner.
Although I did say he would be a welcome addition.
re: Cam. Hawks are big market team that runs like a small market. He’s an URFA next summer. He’s a great backup talent for them or a trade chip in February, or whenever the trade deadline is since it doesn’t even matter right now because we haven’t even hit the threshold for the contracts we signed LAST summer to be tradeable.
But, also as I said, I’d be quite pleased were he to end up as a Laker.
Rather my issue with this article is you:
A) Can’t trade any of these guys we signed this summer, yet. 3 months or 12/15. Then we can entertain these kind of notions although the number of deals made that early in the season are few and far between and almost always centered around a disgruntled player.
B) We haven’t even seen Nunn or THT play really. Talk about a lack of faith, lol.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe Lakers’ overtime win over the Spurs without James last night showed why trading for a third superstar in Russell Westbrook is going to pay off big for Los Angeles as it‘s the key to winning the non-LeBron minutes.
The NBA experts and pundits disapproved of the Lakers’ decision to trade for Russell Westbrook because he wasn’t the elite 3-point shooter the team needed to create spacing for superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. What they ignored was the impact Russell Westbrook as a third superstar could have on the Lakers’ single biggest weakness, which was winning the minutes and games when LeBron James was not on the court.
So let’s take a closer look at what may be the single most important thing about the Lakers’ bold and controversial decision to trade for Russell Westbrook and go all-in on creating their own Superstar Big Three.
WHY WINNING NON-LEBRON MINUTES IS IMPORTANT
Since they signed James three years ago, the Lakers have yet to finish a season with a positive net rating for the time LeBron is not on the court. Even in the championship season, they lost the non-LeBron minutes.
LeBron was +2.4 points on the floor and -5.9 points off the floor for a -8.3 differential his first Lakers season and +9.0 point on the floor and -0.9 points off the floor for a 9.9 differential during the team’s championship season. The trend of the non-LeBron minutes being the Lakers’ Achilles heel continued last season as LeBron was +8.6 points on the floor and -2.0 points off the floor for a -10.6 differential, his worst as a Laker.
Last night, the Lakers got their first tangible return on their gamble that adding a third superstar like Russell Westbrook would be the key to eliminating their Achilles heel and winning the critical non-LeBron minutes. Winning without LeBron is a big deal. The Lakers have always had a strong positive net rating when LeBron plays. What chance do opponents have if the Lakers now also dominate the non-LeBron minutes?
That’s why winning without LeBron last night was important because the Lakers traded for Westbrook in the hope he would give them a legitimate third superstar, who could with AD win the non-LeBron minutes.
HOW THIRD SUPERSTAR INSURES AGAINST INJURIES
It’s not a coincidence Rob Pelinka went all-in to acquire a third superstar after the Lakers’ lost LeBron James and Anthony Davis to injuries and suffered an embarrassing first round exit in the playoffs to the Suns.
Pelinka had seen how having three superstars had enabled the Brooklyn Nets to survive an injury plague after losing Kevin Durant for 37 games, James Harden for 36 games, and Kyrie Irving for 18 games last season. Brooklyn proved that having a third superstar could be an invaluable insurance policy against injuries to one of their three superstars. That’s why Pelinka jumped at the chance to trade for Russell Westbrook.
Having that third superstar who could cover when one of their three superstars were out with injury enabled the Nets to post a 48–24 record, second best in the East and fourth best in the entire league last season. Unfortunately, the Nets were unable to build the chemistry needed in the playoffs during their disjoined regular season and ultimately lost in the conference semi-finals to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks.
How the Nets survived the injuries to their superstars clearly caught Rob Pelinka’s attention and was a major factor in the Lakers’ decision to trade for Russell Westbrook and build a superstar big three to match the Nets.
WHY WESTBROOK OVER HIELD WAS RIGHT DECISION
Russell Westbrook’s stats for last night’s game were 33 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals with only 3 turnovers while shooting 15 of 27 from the field, including 10 of 14 or 71.4% in the restricted zone.
While Buddy Hield is an elite 3-point shooter, he could not have done what Russell Westbrook did last night to help the Lakers beat the Spurs in overtime. It’s the difference between an elite role player and a superstar. While Russ doesn’t solve the Lakers’ need for high volume and quality 3-point shooting, he brings the Lakers exactly what they need to win a championship: a legitimate third superstar for the non-LeBron minutes.
The next major step for the Lakers is to figure out how to replicate the play we got from Russ and AD last night to win the 12 minutes in every single game the Lakers are losing when LeBron James is on the bench resting. Eventually, Russell Westbrook figuring out how to win when LeBron James is not available or is on the bench will ease the concerns and prove to the doubters that Russ is a great fit as the Lakers’ third superstar.
Once the Lakers learn how to apply what they’re learning from playing games without LeBron to the minutes each game when James rests, they will be on their way to becoming an unstoppable offensive juggernaut.
6 Comments-
Excellent post, Tom. Couldn’t have said it any better. Inch by inch, step by step, the Lakers are figuring out things and that’s going to be a lot of fun.
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Just heard the news that LeBron is going to sit out tonight’s game too. I think that’s a great decision by Frank. Lakers need to have another game to hone their non-LeBron offense and defense because if they can win those minutes, they will become close to unstoppable. They’ve won LeBron’s minutes the last three years by double-digit points. If they can also win when LeBron sits, the Lakers will win their 18th NBA championship.
What Russ delivered last night was the key to unlocking the non-LeBron minutes the Lakers have lost all three seasons since they signed LeBron James. This development is why Pelinka switched direction and traded for Russ instead of Buddy. As good a volume 3-point shooter as Hield is, there’s no way he could have done what Russ did last night to ‘will’ the Lakers to an overtime victory. This is why we traded for Russ. The power of a third superstar as injury insurance.
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In principle and theory this is a highly agreeable post and an idea I am 100% behind. Last night, I believe, revealed a flaw in the idea that Russ and AD alone can win games. The bench seems to have an extremely high degree of variation in it’s ability to deliver quality impact. Our defense is borderline non-existent and that’s often with AD at the center. We, once again, have a bevvy of guys who in theory shoot the three well but don’t do other things who are also not hitting the three ball.
I really don’t know what to hope for other than someone like Nunn or THT or Ariza can be a stabilizer off the bench. It won’t be Rondo or Monk or Melo. Not on defense, anyhow. AD’s 3 point shot has left the building, currently shooting 14.7%, Russell Westbrook is shooting 17.4% from three and a game-altering 47.4% from the free throw line. While the law of averages will factor into improvement the larger issue is that space won’t be created to the expected degree when AD and Russ play. Why wouldn’t you pack the paint, dare them to shoot threes and foul them hard on drives? The result is one you could live with.
Frank has his work cut out for him.
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Thanks for reading and commenting, Jamie. I don’t think Russ and AD are good enough to win a championship without LeBron butI do think they can not only win but dominate those 6-minute stretches in each half of every game when LeBron rests. Two superstars vs. the other team’s bench lineup? Give me a break. That’s not only the Lakers’ Achilles Heel but also the greatest opportunity they have to become a dramatically better team. This is a huge issue for this team. It’s at the heart of the Westbrook Experiment.
I have no doubt that not being able to win the non-LeBron minutes was a big part of the decision to go all-in for a third superstar. While it’s a huge plus to be able to win games without LeBron, like we did against the Spurs, that’s not where being able to win the non-LeBron minutes will have its biggest payoff. It’s going to be the 6 minute stints in each half of every game where LeBron rests and we get killed. That’s where Russ and AD need to win minutes. If we do that, it will be the difference maker towards winning a championship.
When will we see stability? You’re right that’s a tough question and one possible answer is we won’t because of roster construction and/or injury. However, I’m still high on this roster because I think Russ will be the key to winning when LeBron rests and to thriving over a long often trying regular season. I suspect the answer as to when we’ll be stable may be late in the season and after a major trade of THT, Nunn, and Jordan for a legit stretch four/five who can guard 3/4/5.
I think Jeanie is too good an owner, Pelinka too good a GM, Vogel too good a coach, and LeBron and AD too good a superstar for them not to figure this out. There’s crazy stuff happening all over the league right now. Stuff that we won’t see midway during the season. Yes, stuff you see when it’s only the fifth game. Also known as where the GHE and GHF crews inevitably collide. Then, as the season progresses, everybody either becomes GHE or GHF depending on how our Lakers do on the hardwood.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe question is not whether Russell Westbrook can make his game fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis but whether the Lakers can adjust their team style of play to optimize and unleash Russell Westbrook.
The Lakers know the only way Westbrook is going to work alongside James and Davis is if the two superstars adjust their games and roles to accommodate Russ rather than asking him to change the way he plays. James giving up the ball and moving to four and Davis giving up power forward and moving to the five are moves the Lakers have to make to give Westbrook at the one a chance to be a championship caliber lineup.
While Russ had a dud of a game against the Warriors, the Lakers did not play him in lineups that complemented strengths like his ability to attack the rim or mitigated weaknesses like not being a good jump shooter. Instead of playing Westbrook with at least two respected 3-point shooters to create space for him to attack the rim, the Lakers basically played him in lineups where opposing defenses could turn him into a jump shooter.
What the Lakers need to do is establish the Westbrook Rules, a set of guidelines to ensure Russ will be surrounded by players who complement his strengths and mitigate his weaknesses whenever he is in the game.
Westbrook Rule #1: Surround Russ with Elite Shooters
Even before trading for Russell Westbrook, packing the paint was already the preferred league strategy for preventing LeBron James and Anthony Davis from attacking the rim and turning them into jump shooters.
With Russell Westbrook joining LeBron James and Anthony Davis, teams are going to double and triple down on that strategy. Better to give James, Davis, and Westbrook wide open jumpers than let them get to the rim. Tuesday night, the Warriors executed that plan to perfection, limiting LeBron to two shots at the rim and four in the paint and forcing him to take six shots from midrange and a eleven threes from beyond the arc.
While teams will pack the paint regardless of whom the Lakers have on the court, the Lakers still need to counter this strategy by making sure to pair two high quality 3-point shooters whenever they play their big three. That means they can’t waste one of the two shooting spots next to the big three in their starting lineup on a low post traditional center like DeAndre Jordan or Dwight Howard. They need to start two capable 3&D players.
Tuesday night, Russ played 16 of his 35 minutes with a low post center and a single 3-point shooter in the lineup. Westbrook Rule #1 should be to always surround Russ with multiple 3-point shooters in every lineup.
Westbrook Rule #2: Surround Russ with Elite Defenders
Integrating Russell Westbrook into a Lakers team with a ‘defense first’ coach like Vogel and a top ranked defense in the NBA last season despite losing James and Davis to major injuries will clearly be a challenge.
Vogel struggled with his rotations in the opening game against the Warriors on Tuesday night, mainly because of the nagging injuries that have rendered Ariza, Horton-Tucker, Nunn, and Ellington unavailable. That forced Vogel to play Russ in lineups with other guards whose strengths were not defense. Defending Curry and Poole with Westbrook and Rondo or Westbrook and Monk should never have seen the court.
The Warriors destroyed the Russ and Rondo and Russ and Monk lineups. Vogel played Westbrook with Rondo for 7 minutes Tuesday night for a -70 net rating and Russ with Monk for 12 minutes for a -69.8 net rating. While only one game, the Lakers will face this dilemma all season long: How do they get shooters in the game without compromising their defense. The answer could be more Kent Bazemore and Avery Bradley.
Frank Vogel did not do Russell Westbrook a favor by playing him with Rajon Rondo or Malik Monk for 19 of his 35 minutes. Westbrook Rule #2 should be to always surround Russ with elite defenders in every lineup.
Westbrook Rule #3: Encourage Russ to Be Russ
While the Lakers need to put Westbrook in lineups that complement his strengths and hide his weaknesses, they also need Russ to be Russ. That’s what was really missing from the Lakers’ effort against the Warriors.
The Lakers need Westbrook to be the relentless, fearless, attack dog player who averaged a triple-double in four of his last five seasons. While they want better shot selection and defense, they want Russ to be Russ. The Lakers didn’t trade for a dumbed down version of Russell Westbrook. They traded for a third superstar with the idea it would be James and Davis rather than Westbrook who would have to make more adjustments.
Frank Vogel has said Russell Westbrook’s poor first game was on him for not doing the things needed to allow Russ to be Russ and promised the Lakers would make adjustments tonight to complement and unleash Russ. Regardless of the adjustments the Lakers make, the onus has is still on Westbrook to be more aggressive, to find ways to get to the basket. Russ needs to come out and be himself, play the game like he always has.
I expect Russ to come out in full-throttle Russell Westbrook mode tonight, looking for redemption for last Tuesday night. Westbrook Rule #3 should be to always encourage Russ to be Russ in every lineup.
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The Westbrook Rules:
Westbrook Rule #1: Surround Russ with Elite Shooters
Westbrook Rule #2: Surround Russ with Elite Defenders
Westbrook Rule #3: Encourage Russ to Be RussThere’s no doubt it will be difficult for the Lakers to follow the Westbrook rules, especially until all of the injured players are back, but they need to try and do that because it’s how they consistently get the best version of Russell Westbrook.
Russ will be walking this tightrope between standing out and fitting in all season. Truth is he’s not a ‘fit in’ kind of player. He’s more of a ‘stand out’ kind of player.
I’m hoping to see Triple-Double Russ on the court tonight. The metric that counts is still the win but I think Russ having a triple-double would almost guarantee a LeBron/AD team won the game.
Lakers need to let Russ be Russ.
But in the end, it’s Russ who has to be Russ.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreWhile last night’s opening season loss to the Warriors was disappointing, the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans should be encouraged that it won’t take long for this team to get their act together and become a juggernaut.
Yes, there are still storm clouds circling like Westbrook’s fit and play, the lingering injuries, and poor free throw shooting. And the Warriors’ elite playmaking and shooting schooled the Lakers’ defense in the second half. But Golden State’s a legitimate championship contender this season and will be even more dangerous when Klay Thompson returns. That this was a game the Lakers could easily have won should be very encouraging.
With just three players back from last year’s squad and new offensive and defensive schemes to learn, the Lakers’ made significant progress towards figuring things out, especially defensively, despite the opening game loss.
1. Lakers First Half Was Best of the Season
The Lakers’ loss to the Warriors was a tale of two halves. With Bazemore hounding Curry, the Lakers’ defense dominated the first half while the Warriors’ offense controlled the second half to ultimately win the game.
The Lakers posted a 100.0 offensive rating and an 89.8 defensive rating as they built a 59–53 lead at halftime led by Davis’ 20 points and James’ 18 first half points. It was the best half of Lakers’ basketball this season. Overall, the Lakers had five steals and three blocks in the first half and held the Warriors as a team to just 4 of 16 or 25% from deep and Steph Curry to just 10 points on 3 of 11 from the field and 1 of 4 from deep.
While the Lakers couldn’t contain the Warriors’ lethal offense in the second half, they showed in the first half they can still play the kind of lock-down defense that led them to their 17th NBA championship.
2. LeBron and AD Look Ready to Dominate
It’s no secret the Lakers will go as far as LeBron James and Anthony Davis can carry them so having both superstars post 30 point and 10 rebound games was exactly how the Lakers wanted to start the season.
LeBron had 34 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, and four turnovers in 36.7 minutes against the Warriors while shooting 56.5% from the field, 45.5% from three ( 5/11), and 50.0% from the line (3/6). Anthony Davis posted 33 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal, and 0 turnovers in 33.0 minutes against Golden State while shooting 57.7% from the field, 20% from deep (1/5), and 28.6% from the line (2/7).
While the Lakers superstars need to shoot better from the line, it has to be an encouraging sign for the Lakers that LeBron and AD appear to be healthy and ready to raise the level of their play to championship caliber.
3. Avery Bradley Should Be 5th Starter
The Lakers have struggled this preseason to find 3-point shooters who can both create spacing for the team’s three superstars while also playing the kind of aggressive physical defense that coach Frank Vogel demands.
With Ariza, Horton-Tucker, Ellington, and Nunn injured, the only 3&D candidate Frank Vogel could start alongside LeBron, AD, and Russ was Kent Bazemore, who had a great game at both ends against the Warriors. When the Warriors started to rain threes in the fourth quarter, however, Vogel surprised everybody by inserting Avery Bradley, who had just been claimed off waivers from the Warriors the day before, into the game.
Needless to say, Vogel may have found the Lakers elusive fifth starter as Bradley was a huge spark, relentlessly harassing Poole and Curry with aggressive physical defense and hitting two out of three from deep.
Where Do Lakers Go From Here?
The Lakers made great strides during their loss to the Warriors figuring out what they need to do as a team and as individuals to optimize their superstars and lineups and start playing championship basketball.
While Vogel will likely stay big for the Phoenix game Friday because of Suns’ center Deandre Ayton, he needs to start Anthony Davis at the five and LeBron James at the four to create spacing for Russell Westbrook. Starting a proven 3&D guard like Avery Bradley instead of low post center DeAndre Jordan could be the solution that leads Vogel to go modern and embrace the Lakers playing small ball with Anthony Davis at center.
With LeBron and AD playing like superstars, Bazemore and Bradley creating spacing for Russ to attack the rim and playing the physical defense Frank Vogel demands, the Lakers have a winning blueprint.
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I spent the time to watch the first half of the Warriors’ game and suggest that others do the same. I thought it was a great performance defensively, the kind of defense that wins championships. Encouraging to see us play that way against a very underrated Warriors team.
I also thought we played well offensively, especially LeBron and AD. Had we started Avery Bradley instead of DeAndre Jordan, I think we would have won this game despite Russ not playing well, the missed free throws, getting outscored in the paint, etc. Bottom line, I think we’ve found the fifth starter in Bradley and our defensive and offensive mojos. Just need to figure out how to keep them going for both halves of the game.
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I don’t think 8 minutes of Avery Bradley is going to make Frank change his thinking, it’s not guards we lack for, it’s size. Plus we’ll need defenders off the bench but if that’s what it takes to get us not to start DAJ that’s fine.
The issues that plague the team feel fixable but they have yet to be fixed and the time it takes to put it all together is the biggest question facing the Lakers right now. With Nunn now out a couple weeks with a bone bruise in his knee 3 of the key guys we all penciled in as major contributors are out for extended time and Ellington is also out for Friday.
That, to me, means we’ll be starting DAJ, again, and I sure hope they’ve come up with a reason to play him because I don’t get what they think he brings. Play one of Dwight or DAJ, let them actually play if they’re going to suit up. 13 minutes over 2 appearances is barely enough time to break a sweat. You accomplish nothing with this hodge podge line up.
Free throws? Fixable-ish, we do not have the greatest assemblage of free throw shooters on the roster. Paint defense? Major question mark because, while it ends in the paint, all of those scoring chances start on the perimeter. At the end of the day the gamble we took of asking a lot of the over 30, vet minimum crowd may be the biggest hurdle to overcome.
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Watching LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing the four and five has always been my perfect roster goal for the Lakers. However, I’m starting to wonder whether this is a smart way for LA to go considering LeBron’s age and AD’s tendency to get injured.
Then there’s also Frank Vogel’s stubborn obsession with playing two bigs and Anthony’s preference for playing the four, not to mention LeBron’s recent preference for shooting the three. While I want both of them playing closer to the rim, getting Frank to play shooters to spread the floor may be problematic.
At any rate, I’m starting to think the solution to this dilemma is for the Lakers to trade for Myles Turner, who will surely be moved by the Pacers at the trade deadline. In a recent article, here were the three trades suggested for Myles Turner in a Clutch Sports article:
3) San Antonio Spurs
Spurs receive: Myles Turner
Pacers receive: Thaddeus Young, Tre Jones, Spurs’ 2022 first-round draft pick and Spurs’ 2024 second-round draft pick
2) Dallas Mavericks
Mavericks receive: Myles Turner
Pacers receive: Dwight Powell, Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Green and Mavericks’ 2025 first-round draft pick
1) Oklahoma City Thunder
Thunder receive: Myles Turner
Pacers receive: Isaiah Roby, Theo Maledon and Phoenix Suns’ 2022 first-round draft pick
I think an offer of Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, and Malik Monk would easily trump any of these three offers. The Lakers could include DeAndre Jordan if the Pacers want a back up center or a future first round pick if that is an issue.
At any rate, trading for Myles and starting him at the five with AD at the four and LeBron at the three would stablize the Lakers front court with a 25-year old center in Turner and 28-year old power forward in Davis. Lakers would then have the perfect front court to go small or play two bigs.
More importantly, the Lakers would have two young centers who were elite rim protectors and floor stretchers. The Turner trade would be the final move to make the Westbrook trade work because the Lakers would have the spacing to unleash Russ on offense and the rim protection to cover his lapses on defense.
This is now my top priority for the Lakers 2021-22 season. Frank wants two bigs. AD wants to play the four. LeBron wants to shoot the three. Turner helps resolve all of these issues and could transform the Lakers into a younger and more powerful juggernaut of a team at both ends of the court.