The Lakers won the NBA championship in the bubble by starting a bigger, more physical player at every position. This summer the Lakers need to go super big and build a modern version of the bubble championship team.
During eighteen months since the Lakers won the championship with their small-ball-on-steroids style of basketball, Pelinka seems to have forgotten what worked as he essentially downsized the Lakers at every position. The poor roster construction was exacerbated by the plague of injuries that left the Lakers reverting a micro-ball lineups with LeBron James starting at the five and the team bleeding rebounds and points in the paint.
Bigger guards like Green and Caldwell-Pope were replaced by smaller guards like Schroeder and Westbrook, small forwards like Kuzma and Morris were replaced by undersized wings like Reaves and Horton-Tucker. Instead of 7-footers like McGee and Howard eating up regular season minutes at center, Pelinka countered with ineffective rent-a-centers like undersized Harrell and over-the-hill Gasol, Drummond, and Jordan.
The Lakers have two paths to get bigger: leave James and Davis at the four and five and add a bigger 3&D wing like Grant or Reddish to the three or go super big by trading for a modern stretch five like Turner or Wood. Going super big with Myles Turner or Christian Wood to recreate a modern version of the lineup that won the bubble championship with a stretch rather than low post center could be the smart move for the Lakers.
Let’s look at the four reasons it would be smart for the Lakers to supersize their starting lineup by adding a modern stretch five center like Myles Turner or Christian Wood to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
1. Going Super Big Is Lakers’ Best Chance to Win Championship
The best path to for the Los Angeles Lakers to win a championship in today’s NBA is to recreate a modern version of the super big purple and gold team that won the 2020 NBA championship in the bubble eighteen months ago.
Having two quality 7-foot centers who can protect the rim and dominate the glass and allow LeBron James and Anthony Davis to play the three and four instead of the four and five was a major reason why the Lakers won #17. What we’ve seen the last two seasons as the Lakers have downsized their roster is that size still counts and the formula of having bigger and more physical players at every position is a blueprint the Lakers need to follow.
The only thing the Lakers should change in their super big formula is replace two 7-foot low post traditional centers with two 7-foot modern centers who can protect the rim and also stretch the floor with shooting. The Lakers can’t count on LeBron and AD shooting over 40% from deep. They need to surround them with 3-point shooters who can stretch defenses and prevent them from packing the paint to prevent layups.
The only way the Lakers can recreate the super big lineups to win a championship next season is by trading for a center who can protect the rim and shoot the three instead of seeking a 3&D wing small forward.
2. Going Super Big Will Help Keep James and Davis Healthy
After all the injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis the past two seasons, the main reason for the Lakers to go super big could be to keep their two injury-prone superstars from getting injured or just worn out.
It’s one thing to play Anthony Davis at the five to win sixteen playoff games and another to start him at the five for 82 games. Considering is history and preference, limiting AD’s minutes at the five is common sense. Davis has appeared in just 40 of the Lakers’ 82 games this season and just 36 of the team’s 82 games last season. Lakers would be wise to limit Anthony’s minutes at the five by trading for a modern two-way center to start games.
Playing small ball all the time is like playing up and can add tremendous physical wear-and-tear to a player because a good portion of his minutes are often going to be played against a bigger and more physical player. That means AD is often banging against centers instead of forwards and LeBron is battling against power forward instead of small forwards. Lakers need to rethink how their rotation decisions impact their superstars’ health.
The Lakers going big by trading for a modern two-way starting center like Myles Turner or Christian Wood should relieve the front court workload and reduce the injury risk for superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
3. Going Super Big Will Improve Lakers’ Rim Protection
One of benefits of the Lakers going big and trading for a shot blocking center like Turner or Wood rather than a 3&D wing like Grant or Redding is to have an elite shot blocker on the court for 48 minutes per game.
At the heart of the Lakers’ defensive issues this season was their lack of rim protection, which fell from a league best 6.6 blocks per game in the 2020 championship season to 7th with just 5.2 blocks per game this last season. Having elite shot blocking 48 minutes of the game should also improve the Lakers opponent field goal percentage, which at 47.0% last season was 22nd in the league compared to 44.8% in 2020, which was 8th best in the league.
Adding a young stretch five center like Myles Turner or Christian Wood would give the Lakers a bully-ball front court the league hasn’t seen for decades with three skilled rim protectors who boast elite hops, power, and athleticism. Turner has led the league in blocked shots the past two seasons with 2.8 blocks for game last year and 3.4 blocks per game this year. Wood has averaged 1.0 and 1.2 blocked shots per game over the last two seasons.
Defense wins championships and great defense starts with great rim protection. Going super big by trading for an elite shot blocking center should dramatically improve the Lakers rim protection and overall defense.
4. Going Super Big Will Improve Lakers’ Rebounding
Going super big will solve the Lakers’ rebounding woes due to playing with greatly undersized lineups due to poor roster construction and injuries. Controlling the glass, especially defensively, is critical to winning games.
Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers averaged 44.0 rebounds per game, 18th in the league. That compares to 45.7 rebounds per game and for a 9th best ranking during their championship run in the bubble back in 2020. The potential to dominate the back boards with a bully-ball front court of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Myles Turner is big reason for the Lakers to prioritize adding a modern two-way center instead of a 3&D wing.
Adding a starting quality center like Myles Turner or Christian Wood should give the Lakers more rebounding punch than adding a small forward like Jerami Grant or Cam Reddish. Size matters when it comes to rebounding. While Myles Turner, who is taller at 6′ 11″ and heavier at 250 lbs, averaged just 7.1 rebounds per game last season while Christian Wood, who is shorter at 6′ 9″ and lighter at 200 lbs, was able to average 10.1 rebounds last year.
Control the glass and often you will control the game. Going super big by trading for a modern two-way center rather than a 3&D small forward will help the Lakers become a championship caliber rebounding team.
5. Going Super Big Will Unleash Anthony Davis at the Three
There is also a possible surprise reward for the Lakers going super big and trading for a modern two-way center, which is unleashing Anthony Davis to play small forward, the position he wants to finish his career playing.
Because they don’t want to wear out or injure 37-year old LeBron James by having him play small forward and chase smaller wing scorers around picks, the Lakers will start and play LeBron most of his time at the four. That opens the door for the Lakers to move AD and his ability to defend all five positions to the three where he can become the team’s leading scorer and shut-down defender who guards the opposing team’s top wing scorer.
Davis has reportedly told the Lakers he would ultimately like to play the three, where his creative handle and elite ballhandling would have more room to make offensive moves and attack the basket than playing the four or five. Defensively, Davis at the three could be the missing lock-down wing defender the Lakers have long coveted to guard the Kawhi Leonards, Paul Georges, Kevin Durants, and other wing scorers who’ve haunted the Lakers.
Going super big with a modern version of the Lakers bully ball championship team has the potential to transform AD into the top-five superstar who can take the baton from LeBron and be the Lakers’ alpha.
Lol, maybe if they had kept Frank. As it is one imagines Rob would at least pay his new coach the courtesy of asking what kind of players he would want on the team…
Not gonna lie, all these articles just crack me up since I’ve been tooting this horn for like a year now and got plenty of “You don’t understand modern basketball” or “LMAO!” As a response. Now that the show Simon the other foot we fire the coach who could have used a line up like this. Smarter to wait and see what kind of coach we end up with before designing a team around theories.
I’ve never liked having old school centers who just clog things up but I’ve always wanted to be bigger at every position than the opposition. Playing small to me is about style of play. Our small ball worked because we had big guards, big forwards, and a big center. And when it counted in the playoffs or to close games, we played small. Right now, we need to be able to play big or small. I hate small guards and the micro ball lineups. Our only difference is I want a five who can shoot the three. I am so tired of big wings posting us up for midrange makes. Or getting outrebounded or not being able to defend opposing centers.
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1515460280980959237
AD at the three is an awful idea. All of this moving him out of the position that won us a title is insane to me. Leave him at the 4, LeBron at the 3 and design a team where both players have to change less.
Hire a coach that understands derense is the priority, we won a chip with a mediocre offense and then fell into the stupid trap of comparing ourselves to the Nets who never amounted to jack. Here’s an idea: be brave and forge the identity based on the acquirable players not some notion of what the game should look like. All these analyticsare cute, frankly theybwork OK in the regular season. But they fly out the window when the rubber meets the road, just like we see literally every season in the Finals.
Especially don’t get overly hung up on acquiring a center that can shoot the three. It’s fools gold. LeBrongets to the rim when he chooses to, he chooses to less because he is old now and injury averse. AD was averaging the most paint points in his career and shouldbe the 5 but, again, let him be cozy and comfortable at the 4. Get the best rim protector you can. If that dude can hit a 3, wonderful, that is some tasty gravy. Ifbhe can’t, do some coaching and figure it out.
LOL. Sure, let’s waste space on a low post traditional center who will clog ups the lane and make it hard for LeBron to score. Dinosaur thinking.
Yep, having an identity or vision of where you’re going before you acquire players to play with LeBron and AD is the only way to build a professional sports team. Many of the problems the Lakers have had have been because they didn’t follow that logical process.
Ahhh, there it is. Total dismissal based on a theory. Gotta love it… Dude you got your analytics team this year? Where did it go? Nowhere, that’s where. LMAO indeed…
My only problem is #2: keep James and Davis healthy.
I know a lot of people think as long as the Lakers have AD and LBJ they have a chance. I have no faith in AD to stay healthy any longer and LeBron by himself is not enough anymore.
Hopefully I’m wrong about all this.
Honestly Buba I don’t think you’re alone on that one. The fact some here are advocating for AD and/or LBJ to get traded is all you need to see in regards to how much faith the Laker fans have in the current Lakers.
Just have to remember that it was only 18 months ago that AD was the second best player on the planet. He needs to stay healthy but the injuries have not been the kind that should limit his talent going forward like an ACL or Achilles. I believe in him still but he will have to show it.
Here’s the thing. I think moving AD to the three could be the catalyst to transform and unleash his game. Small forward is the premier position in the league right now. It’s where the best scorers play. It’s where real 3&D wings play. LeBron can’t play the three any more for us but AD is perfect for it. Less banging. And his length keeps players on a leash. You don’t run him into the ground doing it but it’s where he can become the player he was with the Pelicans. He will have freedom at the three he wouldn’t have playing the four or five.
We need AD to be the alpha when LeBron retires. Going super big would give him the shot to play the three. Myles, LeBron, and Anthony would be the best front court in the league.
Watching KAT and now Embiid dominate down low and be able to play inside or outside makes me even more certain that we need a bigger center with a lower center of gravity than Davis. KAT or Joel would dominate AD. Turner would give us the size to be able to play big or small. We can’t count on Dwight to be able to continue to be able to battle the Embiids and KATs. Time for the Lakers to supersize their front court with Turner or Wood.
Wood will get eaten alive. He’s a terrible defender and undersized.
Dwight probably should be a backup now but he also might be the best center we can get this summer. That’s if he doesn’t find a better situation elsewhere. He and AD got into it early and his role was really messed with all season.
Wood will get better playing next to LeBron and AD. He’s actually much more aggressive as a shot blocker, rim attacker, and rebounder than Turner is but not the defender or rim protector that Myles is.
Bottom line, he would make us much better offensively and has great upside as a player. I obviously would prefer Turner and maybe even the Hornets package but Wood is a talent who would be a great fit on the Lakers imo.
I have to assume “e” means LeBron. That was not the case with Russ and I’m not talking about offense.
Wood has never played next to an elite defensive player like AD or even LeBron. He will have to develop a chemistry with them. Obviously, Russ did not.
How team oriented is Wood? He hasn’t played for winners so that could be an issue. The Lakers were interested in him at the deadline so I think he will be targeted.
What could change the dynamic and make Wood a bigger target is if the Rockets are willing to take a couple of seconds to swap Russ and Wall. That could be turned into a trade if the Lakers can’t make a deal with the Pacers or Hornets.
Aloha Tom, I can’t get behind this at all. I really don’t understand your fascination with Wood other then 3 point shooting. He’s not a good center. He broke out as a PF and then the Rockets tried to convert him to a small ball center and it failed miserably. It’s amusing when you use the word bully ball in the same sentence as Wood. The guy weighs 214 pounds and is pushed around inside. I don’t believe you have seen him play much. AD out weighs him by 40 pounds and is stronger. He is much better equipped to bang with the big boys. Wood is an okay shot blocker, 47 in the league but that doesn’t rock my world, especially with a 116.2 defensive rating. The Rockets were not a good defensive team but you would at least want him to be better then the team average, which he wasn’t. Now moving AD to the 3 would be not be a good move either. It takes away everything that makes him special. He blocks 2.3 shots a game, can switch everything. He’s combination of quickness, size and footwork makes him one of they very best players in the paint so it makes little sense to me to move him to the wing with his 18% 3 point shooting. He is an all NBA caliber defensive center or PF. Now I can’t remember Wood guarding the perimeter but if he could it might make sense to put him on the wing where he is less likely to be bullied. He is a good 3 point shooter so he would see a lot of open looks playing with AD and LeBron. Of course Wood also became a cancer in the locker room which lowered his trade value. His complaint? Lack of touches. Think he would get more in LA? I can see why he didn’t get more. I mean he only averaged 1.14 on pick and pop, pick and roll opportunities which isn’t great. Add in his 59% from the line and the fact he lost his starting job the Sengue, it doesn’t add up to a big plus for me. Instead of playing a lot of guys out of position I think it’s better to try and find a decent 3 and D forward with size.
Aloha, Michael.
Yes, Wood clearly doesn’t fit my description of what I want in a modern two-way center as well as Turner does and many of your criticism of him are legitimate concerns. He’s nowhere near the polished proven product that Turner is but he’s also an explosive player on offense attacking the rim with quickness and fierceness and he can shoot. I think he could be a poor man’s version of Anthony Davis. He has quick feet, long hands, and great wingspan. Could he be a problem player? Possibly but those are the flaws you have to judge whether he can overcome them because all of the players you can trade for will have negatives. I think Wood is probably a low floor and high ceiling player. In the end, I like mobile bigs who can shoot threes, dunk with passion, and block shots. There’s a lot to work with there.
As for AD playing the three, I seriously think small forward could be his best position. Davis could be the wing defender we’ve always coveted. Think about it. The positions you can play in this league are the positions you can defend. Davis has the quickness, hops, size, and length to recover when beaten to the hoop or by a screen. There is nobody on this team who can defend 1-on1 as well as AD can.
If we have a shot blocker like Turner to anchor the center position defensively and bigger guards who can score like Hield and Brogdon, then allowing AD to play the three where he can take advantage of smaller players and play in space without as much low post banging and physicality, it could be his perfect position going forward. It’s where he says he wants to play to finish his career. He’d be best playing the three right now in his prime. Take advantage of LeBron’s closing window.
AD at the 3 is folly, if we got Wood (feels unlikely but for the sake of debate let’s assume it’s possible) he’s be better at the 3. Frankly, if you get Wood, the smarter choice seems to me to be Davis at the 5, Wood at the 4 and LeBron at the 3 (hopefully w/Monk and at worst Reaves as the guards). I don’t think that line up will do great on defense or rebounding (who boxes out? Nobody, just like this season that’s who lol). The thing I’m seeing now is, since we ditched our jack of all trades that can win a title team and traded away almost all of our tradable assets for Westbrook we now are faced with a choice. We don’t have enough to rebuild a decent “do everything” team like we had, you need to focus on one end and kind of go all-in. So Rob will either go high octane offense or stalwart defense and I would imagine it will have everything to do with whom we can actually get back in a Russ trade. The best multi-tool players are ensconced on other teams now. Simply playing alongside AD or LeBron doesn’t make anyone better at anything, just adds more pressure. In fact it’s extremely difficult to slot high-usage players alongside either LBJ or AD, to say nothing of both. If I’m Rob Internet-focus in the defensive end and get a coach who can maximize what offensive talents the roster has. But, honestly, this team is such a mess right now it’s unlikely to get fixed this summer. LBJ is as likely to walk next summer as sign an extension. We need to get beyond lucky. Hard for me to see that happening given the materials we have to work with.
I’m with you Jamie about Wood. You don’t switch out one of the best centers in the NBA with one of the worst and then put that great center out on the wing, where all his best qualities are not utilized. Woods trade value has plummeted so drastically over the last two years that I could actually see landing him. But not as a center.