Lakerholics

Rob Pelinka’s master plan to wait until the February 6 trade deadline when teams get more desperate and prices drop is a strategic miscalculation that winning the trade is more important than ending up with the right players.

The problem with Pelinka’s strategy is three fold. First, waiting two more months will inevitably result in the Lakers having fewer quality trade options. That is exactly what we saw last summer and last trade deadline. Second, waiting until the deadline which is over two months away is just too long for the Lakers to wait to upgrade what is a play-in roster at best. Without help, the Lakers will have zero chances of making the playoffs.

Third and most importantly, waiting until early February to upgrade the roster assumes there will be an acceptable deal as the deadline approaches. We saw last summer and trade deadline what happens when you do this.
Right now, there are good options to trade for a starting defensive center to pair with Anthony Davis and defensive point guard to pair with Dalton Knecht. There’s no guarantee those options will be available in February.

The teams that win trades are always the teams that trade for the right playes. The Lakers’ problems are that Pelinka lost his confidence in the wake of the Westbrook trade and realizes his next trade could be his last.
The result has been a consistent strategy of moving the goalposts and making promises he will ultimately fail to keep. First it was the new CBA. Now it’s Vando’s injury that’s responsible for Lakers not making a trade.

In the end, Rob Pelinka’s failure to upgrade the roster and fix obvious recurring problems related to size and defense have put the Lakers in a critical position. Time to refocus on making sure we get the right players.

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The Art of Picking the Right Players

Rob Pelinka and the Lakers need to fully embrace JJ Redick’s vision for this team and aggressively trade for an elite defensive starting center to pair with Anthony Davis and lock-down POA guard to pair with Dalton Knecht.

The Lakers have the draft capital (2 first round picks, 2 first round pick swaps, and 3 second round picks) and $52.5 million in matching salaries (Russell, Hachimura, Vincent, Hood-Schifino, Lewis) to make the trades.
The only question is whether the Lakers have the will and courage pull off the needed trades to transform the roster into championship caliber and give LeBron James and Anthony Davis the help they need to win it all.

Right now, Pelinka needs to grow some cajones and provide the Lakers with a legitimate starting-quality shot-blocking center to pair with Davis and a point-of-attack defensive perimeter point guard to pair with Knecht.
The Lakers can trade for the right candidates to fill both of those needs right now. It will likely cost them both picks but will give them a legitimate championship caliber starting lineup and a deep and talented rotation.

The Lakers should trade for two new starters and move two current starters to the bench. Starting-quality centers to pair with Davis include Robert Williams III, Walker Kessler, Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, and Nic Claxton.
Finding a starting-quality two-way point guard is a tougher challenge for the Lakers. Starting defense-first two-way point guards to pair with Dalton Knecht include Marcus Smart, Lonzo Ball, and Dennis Schroder.

Bottom line, Pelinka needs to go all-in to transform this roster into a championship team. To do that, he must prioritize trading for the defense-first starting center and point guard who would most raise Lakers’ ceiling.

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Affect on Trades of LeBron’s Struggles

Basketball pundits seem to believe LeBron James’ recent struggles may lead Rob Pelinka and the Lakers to keep their picks rather than going all-in to win another championship before the King calls it quits and retires.

Alternatively, LeBron’s struggles could motivate the Lakers to become even more aggressive with Pelinka using their existing draft capital right now to pull off a blockbuster trade for a superstar point guard to replace James.
The logic behind the Lakers doing this is the likelihood next season will be James final season and superstar point guards Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, and De’Aaron Fox just might be available right now in a blockbuster trade.

The Lakers have always been able to play a wide range of different players at point guard because LeBron James is usually the primary playmaker with the ball in his hands when the team is on offense in the half court.
With next season likely to be James’ final season, there is a greater priority for the Lakers to take advantage of opportunity to trade for his superstar playmaking replacement right now rather than waiting until next summer.

With 2 first round picks, 2 first round pick swaps, 3 second round picks, $52.5 million in matching salaries of 5 tradable players, the Lakers clearly have the needed components to put together a pair of blockbuster moves.
Visions of LeBron struggling and the league getting younger are more likely to motivate the Lakers to try to replace the King sooner than later. Reality is JJ Redick cannot build a championship team without a great point guard.

The right players for the Lakers to trade for are a new starting center to pair with Anthony Davis and a new starting point guard to pair with Dalton Knecht and replace LeBron James as one of the team’s two superstars.

Dalton Knecht’s emergence as the generational 3-point shooter the Los Angeles Lakers have long-coveted now gives them a New Big Three and frees them to trade their picks to upgrade their starting lineup defense.

Redick’s decision to make Dalton Knecht the Lakers’ starting shooting guard was a clear sign the Lakers view the talented young rookie as part of their backcourt of the future and an emerging star around which to build. While moving Russell to the bench was a big success, Reddish was never able to provide enough defense to offset his liability on offense. Replacing him with Knecht fixed the mistake and turbo charged the starting lineup.

Though the Lakers knew Russell and Reaves could not be a championship backcourt defensively, they decided they had no option but gamble on a Reaves and Knecht backcourt, even though it’s not optimal defensively.
While an offense-first starting backcourt of Reaves and Knecht might survive regular season, they’ll be hard pressed defensively to win in the playoffs, which is why Dalton starting could change Lakers’ trade plans.

Sooner rather than later, the Lakers need trades to pair Dalton Knecht with a new defense-first point guard who can defend the perimeter and pair Anthony Davis with a new defense-first center who can protect the rim.
Their assets to make those trades include their two available first round picks, three available first round pick swaps, and three second round picks. Russell, Hachimura, Hood-Schifino, and Lewis are logical salary filler.

As L.A. continues trying to thread the needle between winning now and building for the future, committing to Knecht as a part of their new long-term core should empower the Lakers to focus on trading for defense.
With a New Big Three of Davis at the four, James at the three, and Knecht at the two, Lakers need to trade for a defensive center who can legitimately start and a defensive point guard who can’t be played off the court.

Here are three top trade targets for new Lakers’ defense oriented starting point guard and center to provide championship caliber defensive help for New Big Three of Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Dalton Knecht.

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1. Defensive Center Who Can Legitimately Start

The Los Angeles Lakers’ three top trade targets for a defensive center to start next to AD should be the Portland Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III, the Utah Jazz’ Walker Kessler, and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez.

• Robert Williams III, 27 Years Old, 6′ 9″, 249 lbs, 2 Years @ $12M
  9.6 pts, 6.0 reb, 1.4 ast, 1.9 blk, 1.1 stl in 18.7 mpg
  71.1% on 5.4 FGA, 50.0% on 0.3 3PA, 92.3% on 1.9 FTA pg
• Walker Kessler, 23 Years Old, 7′ 0″, 245 lbs, 2 Years @ $4M
  9.7 pts, 10.4 reb, 1.4 ast, 2.8 blk, 0.4 stl in 27.7 mpg
  69.9% on 6.1 FGA, 0.0% on 0 3PA, 51.9% on 2.3 FTA pg
• Brook Lopez, 36 Years Old, 7′ 1″, 282 lbs, 1 Year @ $23M
  12.3 pts, 5.2 reb, 1.8 ast, 2.3 blk, 1.3 stl in 32.7 mpg
  47.7% on 9.6 FGA, 36.5% on 5.3 3PA, 74.2% on 1.7 FTA pg

While all three defensive center options would help elevate the Lakers to legitimate championship contenders, Williams has greatest potential and risk, Kessler best long-term upside, and Lopez best short-term outlook.

Of the three options, Robert Williams III has the greatest ceiling as he has elite ability both to protect the rim and defend in space. Pairing him with Anthony Davis would give the Lakers the best front court in the league.
Trading for Williams would surely cost the Lakers one of their two available first round picks plus maybe Vincent and Hood-Schifino as salary filler. While Williams doesn’t stretch the floor, he’s still a big force offensively.

The obvious pluses of trading for Walker Kessler are his age and salary, which means his cost in terms of matching salary and cap impact are minimal. The negative is the Jazz are asking two first round picks for him.
Trading Kessler to L.A. could also undermine what Utah receives for the Lakers’ 1–4 protected 2027 pick they own. The Lakers may need to remove the 2027 protection plus include 2028 swap and 2029 pick to land Kessler.

Should the Lakers not want to risk trading for Williams or pay the price to trade for Kessler, Brook Lopez could be the ideal short-term option for the Lakers to pair with Anthony Davis in a modern two-bigs starting lineup.
While giving up a first round pick for a short-term solution like 36-year old Lopez is not ideal, there may be no better big to play alongside AD than Brook, who’s the only defensive center candidate who stretches the floor.

The Lakers need to trade for a defensive center like the Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III, the Jazz’ Walker Kessler, or the Bucks’ Brook Lopez to pair with Anthony Davis in the best defensive front court in the league.

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2. Defensive Guard Who Can’t Be Played Off Court

The Los Angeles Lakers’ three top trade targets for a defensive point guard to play with Dalton Knecht should be the Memphis Grizzlies’ Marcus Smart, the Chicago Bulls’ Lonzo Ball, and the Brooklyn Nets’ Dennis Schroder.

• Marcus Smart, 30 Years Old, 6′ 3″, 220 lbs, 2 Years @ $21M
  9.2 pts, 2.4 reb, 3.9 ast, 0.7 blk, 1.3 stl in 20.0 mpg
  38.2% on 7.6 FGA, 31.7% on 4.6 3PA, 85.7% on 2.3 FTA pg
• Lonzo Ball, 27 Years Old, 6′ 6″, 190 lbs, 1 Year @ $21M
  TYR: 5.0 pts, 2.3 reb, 3.5 ast, 0.8 blk, 1.0 stl in 15.5 mpg
  35.6% on 5.6 FGA, 20.5% on 3.0 3PA, 71.4% on 0.5 FTA pg
  LYR: 13.0 pts, 5.4 reb, 5.1 ast, 0.9 blk, 1.8 stl in 34.6 mpg
  42,3% on 10.9 FGA, 42.3% on 7.4 3PA, 75.0% on 0.8 FTA pg
• Dennis Schroder, 31 Years Old, 6′ 1″, 175 lbs, 2 Years @ 12M
  18.6 pts, 3.2 reb, 6.3 ast, 0.2 blk, 1.2 stl in 34.2 mpg
  43.4% on 11.9 FGA, 41.7% on 6.7 3PA, 88.1% on 3.7 FTA pg

While the three defensive point guard options would help catapult the Lakers to legitimate contenders, Smart has the safest ceiling and floor, Ball the greatest upside and risk, and Schroder the best short-term bet.

Former Boston Celtic Marcus Smart should be the Lakers’ top defensive point guard target. While not an elite 3-point sniper or playmaker, Smart’s point-of-attack defense, constant motor, and gritty leadership are elite.
Pairing an All-Defensive quality 1-on-1 point-of-attack defender like Marcus Smart with a generational 3-point shooter and scorer like Dalton Knecht is exactly what the Lakers need to compete for a championship.

Should L.A. be unable to interest the Grizzlies in trading Marcus Smart, the Lakers should turn to the tanking Bulls and see whether they’re interested in trading injury-prone point guard Lonzo Ball and his expiring contract.
While L.A. would need to have their doctors examine Ball and review his medical records, Lonzo Ball could be exactly what the Lakers need as a defensive point guard and Bulls may be willing to give him up for seconds.

If L.A. cannot trade for Smart or Ball, they should pivot and target the Nets’ current and Lakers’ former point guard Dennis Schroder, who’s elevated his play at both end in the Olympics for Germany and in the NBA for the Nets.
While he’s not the bigger point-of-attack defensive point guard Smart and Ball are, Shroder does have elite speed, quickness, and ability to hound opposing ball handlers full court and is also shooting over 40% from deep.

The Lakers need to trade for a defensive point guard like the Grizzlies’ Marcus Smart, the Bulls’ Lonzo Ball, or the Nets’ Dennis Schroder to pair with Dalton Knecht in one of the best two-way backcourts in the NBA.

With their thrashing last night, the Denver Nuggets once again reminded Rob Pelinka why the Los Angeles Lakers must go all-in for a blockbuster trade to add more size and defense if they want to win the championship.

Despite their hopes Denver’s days of dominance were over, last night’s rough 127–102 spanking at home was a harsh reminder why the Lakers need more size and defense and why the Nuggets are still their ‘Daddy.’ Combined with blowing the Magic game, last night’s blowout should be a wake up call for Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office. As good as this team has looked so far, they’re still ‘too small’ and ‘play poor defense.’

Right now, the Lakers’ top-5 offense has elevated them into top-4 status in the West and covered up their lack of front court size backing up Davis and quality point-of-attack perimeter defense on opposing guards and wings.
The Lakers’ 6-game win streak unfortunately reduced the pressure on Rob Pelinka to upgrade the roster as Redick’s lineup adjustments with Reddish,
Russell, and Koloko covered up some of the Lakers’ major defensive woes.

Last night’s blowout at home should have clarified any doubts the front office had whether the team needed a major infusion of size and defense to take advantage of a healthy James and Davis and pursue the championship.
Reddick wants the Lakers to be a team with a top-10 offense and defense. Right now, he’s done a great job turning the Lakers offense into a top-10 juggernaut but building a top-10 defense will require a blockbuster trade.

Here are three proposed mega trades Rob Pelinka could pull off to provide the Lakers with the greater size and defense in both front and backcourt to transform the team into a legitimate contender for the NBA championship.

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1. TRADE FOR MARCUS SMART & ROBERT WILLIAMS

The above 3-team trade is the Lakers’ best option. It would give LA two new starters: point-of-attack perimeter defender in point guard Marcus Smart and elite shot blocker and second big to pair with AD in Robert Williams.

What makes this trade ideal for the Lakers is that they go all-in to respond to their desperate need for more size and defense by adding two legitimate All-Defensive quality proven starters in Robert Williams and Marcus Smart. The trade could elevate the Lakers’ current bottom-10 defense to top-10 status and give the franchise a true powerhouse defense to pair with the explosive offensive juggernaut the Lakers have become under JJ Redick.

Adding an elite point-of-attack perimeter defender like Smart and a second shot blocking rim protector and 1-on-1 defender like Williams also opens the door to start talented young rookie Dalton Knecht at shooting guard.
The Lakers need a strong defensive starting lineup to be able to start rookie Dalton Knecht, whose hot shooting from three creates needed spacing and 3-point gravity to free LeBron James and Anthony Davis to attack the rim.

Lakers would have to give up at least one unprotected first round pick to Portland for Williams and one unprotected first round pick to Memphis for Smart. Picks are the compensation for trade. Lakers players are just filler.
Trade would also open up two roster spots so the Lakers could convert the two-way contracts of promising young center Christian Koloko and hot shooting two-way point guard Quincy Olivari to standard NBA contracts.

Post trade, the Lakers’ starting lineup with Robert Williams and Marcus Smart replacing Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell would be a legitimate championship contender with an upgraded defense and deeper bench.

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2. TRADE FOR COLLIN SEXTON & WALKER KESSLER

The above 2-team trade is the Lakers’ second best option. It would give LA two new starters: speedy dynamic defender in combo guard Collin Sexton and elite rim protecting defensive big to pair with AD in Walker Kessler.

This trade provides the Lakers with a needed point guard with elite defensive speed in Collin Sexton and a long-term defense-first starting center to pair in a two-bigs lineup with Anthony Davis in Walker Kessler.
While Sexton would backup Austin Reaves at point guard for the Lakers, Kessler would likely start at center and play alongside Anthony Davis, who would be free to roam on offense and defense to impact on the game.

Adding an elite shot blocker like Kessler on a rookie contract would give the Lakers a major boost when it comes to dominating the defensive boards and protecting the rim, especially when Anthony Davis rests on the bench.
Adding Kessler to the rotation would not only strengthen the starting lineup defensively but also enable Redick to stagger the his two shot blockers so that Lakers have 48 minutes of rim protection for each game.

Lakers would have to give up at least one unprotected first round pick to Utah for Kessler and Sexton plus remove 1–4 protection on 2027 first round pick owned by Jazz. Trade is about the picks. Lakers players are just filler.
Trade would also open up two roster spots so the Lakers could convert the two-way contracts of promising young center Christian Koloko and hot shooting two-way point guard Quincy Olivari to standard NBA contracts.

Post trade, the Lakers’ starting lineup with Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton replacing Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell would be a legit championship contender with an upgraded defense and deeper bench.

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3. TRADE FOR DENNIS SCHRODER & BROOK LOPEZ

The above 3-team trade is the Lakers’ third best option. It would give LA two new starters: speedy point-of-attack defender in combo guard Dennis Schroder and elite stretch five big man to pair with AD in Brook Lopez.

While this trade does not provide the Lakers with either their center or point guard of the future, it does give them two elite players who would be excellent fits and help fill glaring holes in the the team’s current rotation.
Lopez immediately starts next to Davis and gives the Lakers the stretch five shot blocker they need to unleash Anthony Davis to be league MVP at both ends of the court while Schroder backups Austin Reaves at point guard.

If the Lakers are not going to be able to trade for young players who could be their center of the future, they would be smart to focus on proven vets like Lopez and Schroder, both of whom have history as former Lakers.
Even though they’re both older veterans, Brook and Dennis have enough left to be valuable contributors at both ends of the court for the next two years. Good options to help LeBron James win one more ring as a Laker.

Lakers would have to give up at least one unprotected first round pick to Milwaukee for Lopez and maybe a pair of second round picks to Brooklyn for Schroder. Trade is about the picks. Lakers players are just filler.
Trade would also open up two roster spots so the Lakers could convert the two-way contracts of promising young center Christian Koloko and hot shooting two-way point guard Quincy Olivari to standard NBA contracts.

Post trade, the Lakers’ starting lineup with Brook Lopez and Dennis Schroder replacing Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell would be a legit championship contender with an upgraded defense and bench.

Red hot rookie Dalton Knecht has played and shot so well since replacing injured Rui Hachimura in the Lakers’ starting lineup that head coach JJ Redick is going to have a hard time keeping him out of the starting lineup.

In the three games he started in place of Hachimura, Knecht averaged 26.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while making 16 of his 26 threes for a 61.5% shooting percentage from deep on a volume of 8.7 attempts per game. Knecht also showed everybody that his game is not just limited to volume 3-point attempts. During these three games, Dalton also averaged 1.0 steals and 0 turnovers despite posting a team 3rd best solid 20.3% usage rate.

While Hachimura has played and shot well as a starter, Dalton brings a juggernaut level of firepower to the starting lineup that the Lakers simply have never had and which catapults their starting lineup to another level.
Knecht not only showed he could hold his own as a starter but also proved he was exactly the type of elite high volume 3-point shooter the Lakers have desperately needed to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

With their other volume 3-point shooter D’Angelo Russell moving to the bench, the Lakers would be smart to keep Dalton Knecht in the starting lineup to provide the volume 3-point shooting Russell used to provide.
The Lakers fully understand what they have in Knecht and know their major development priority should be to keep him in the starting lineup to accelerate his development and take best advantage of his great skillset.

The Lakers’ challenge in keeping Dalton Knecht in the starting lineup is what position does he play, who starts with him in the backcourt, and what other starting lineup changes should Lakers make to optimize the rookie?

With Rookie head coach JJ Redick continuing to make all the right moves, the Los Angeles Lakers suddenly find themselves only a pair of upgraded starters short from becoming a legitimate NBA championship contender.

The Lakers need to replace starting point guard D’Angelo Russell with a point guard who can shoot threes and defend at a high level and starting wing Rui Hachimura with a shot blocking center who can play with AD.
With a current top-five offensive rating and bottom-five defensive rating, the Lakers desperately need to start elite individual defenders who can not only guard multiple positions but also hold their own on the offensive end.

The Boston Celtics faced the same challenge two years ago when they replaced a point guard and center combination of Marcus Smart and Robert Williams with a Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis combo.
Ironically, the leading candidates to replace D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura in an upgraded Lakers starting lineup are former Celtics All-Defensive point guard Marcus Smart and center Robert Williams III.

There’s no question that Boston’s addition of elite defensive point guard Jrue Holiday and stretch center Kristaps Porzingis were the major catalysts that propelled the Celtics to their league best 18th NBA championship.
The Lakers would be smart to emulate what the Celtics did to win and pursue their own defensive upgrades at point guard and center by trading for former elite Boston starters Marcus Smart and Robert Williams.

Let’s look at what the Lakers would have to give up to trade for Marcus Smart and Robert Williams, how each player would fit with the current roster, and what resulting starting lineup and rotation would look like.

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Marcus Smart and Robert Williams Trade

The Lakers trade D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis, and 2029 and 2031 unprotected first round draft picks for POA point guard Marcus Smart and defensive center Robert Williams III.

Trade essentially moves two current starters in Russell and Hachimura, two non-rotation young bench players in JHS and Lewis, and two first round picks for Smart and Williams to upgrade team’s starting defense.
Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III are proven two-way players who represent major defensive upgrades over one-way players D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura. Lakers give up some offense for better defense.

The Lakers are obviously hoping point guard Marcus Smart and center Robert Williams successfully fill the same identical roles for them that point guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis did for the Celtics.
Smart and Holiday are statistically similar point guards who can shoot the three and can shut down opposing teams’ top scorers while Williams and Porzingis are often injured big men who can be dominant when healthy.

Russell and Hachimura are not valuable enough to motivate the Grizzlies and Trail Blazers to trade Smart and Williams so the Lakers will likely need to include their unprotected 2029 and 2031 first round picks as sweeteners.
With LeBron James now slated to play just another two more years, the Los Angeles Lakers cannot afford to miss this opportunity to tie their nemises Boston Celtics and win their both 18th and 19th NBA championships.

Besides upgrading the starting lineup, the trade for Smart and Williams III also opens up roster spots to promote two-way players Koloko and Olivari to standard rotation contracts and save almost $9 million in salaries.

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Marcus Smart Transforms Point of Attack

Marcus Smart gives the Lakers the desperately needed legitimate two-way point-of-attack point guard to fill the role that Jrue Holiday now plays for the Boston Celtics and Alex Caruso currently plays for the OKC Thunder.

Trading for Smart fills the Lakers’ need for an elite perimeter defensive guard to slow down opposing teams’ top scorers without having to sacrifice offensive firepower and desperately needed volume 3-point shooting.
Marcus Smart’s not only a better 1-on-1 and team defender than Cam Reddish or Jarred Vanderbilt but he’s also a proven point guard who can run the offense, make plays for teammates, and rain threes from deep.

Right now, Cam Reddish has done a respectable job replacing D’Angelo Russell and giveing the Lakers’ starting lineup an elite perimeter defender who can slow down or shut down opposing top guard and wing scorers.
Unfortunately, Reddish has not been able to contribute enough on the offensive side of the ball to justify his defensive contributions. In the Lakers’ last 5 games, Cam has generated a negative net rating of -12.7.

While there remains the possibility of Jarred Vanderbilt eventually replacing Reddish, it’s no certainty that Vando will be able to contribute enough offensively to justify starting him at guard for his defense.
In the end, the Lakers need to trade for an elite two-way player like Marcus Smart if they want to be serious contender to win an NBA championship in what will likely be the final two seasons of LeBron James career.

Most importantly, Marcus Smart gives the Lakers a quality replacement for D’Angelo Russell at point guard to reduce wear and tear on LeBron James while dramatically balancing the team’s perimeter offense and defense.

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Robert Williams Unleashes Anthony Davis

While plagued by injuries, Robert Williams III gives the Lakers the second defensive big they need to pair in a two-bigs starting lineup with Anthony Davis and to replace AD as rim protector when he goes to bench to rest.

While Williams struggled with major injuries last season and only played in 4 games this season, he has legitimate elite DPOY defensive level talent and, if he can remain healthy, would give the Lakers 2 DPOY candidates.
Williams is currently averaging 12.0 points, 5.7 boards, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.7 steals in just 18 minutes per game. Robert has 123.1 offensive rating (#1), 111.6 defensive rating (#7), and +11.4 net rating (#2).

While Williams doesn’t stretch the court like Porzingis, he’s able to defend all five positions at all three levels. He can block shots to protect the rim as well as switch onto smaller and quicker guards and wings on the perimeter.
Robert essentially gives the Lakers a slightly smaller version of Anthony Davis. Together, they can essentially put a lid on the basket. Staggered, they can provide the Lakers with 48 minutes of elite rim protection every game.

While Williams’ injury history is a major concern, especially if the Lakers are giving up an unprotected first round pick as compensation, his $12.4 million salary would be a major bargain for a team with salary issues.
With both Anthony Davis and LeBron James earning max contracts, the Lakers need to limit what they spend for the rest of their starting lineup and 9 or 10-man rotation. Williams is moderate risk, high reward player.

Williams would not only give the Lakers a second defensive big who can protect the rim and defend 1–5 on the perimeter but also guarantees the Lakers will have an elite rim protection for all 48 minutes of every game.

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Lakers Post-Trade Depth Chart and Rotation

The biggest move the Lakers made last summer was to hire JJ Redick, who is quickly proving to be exactly what L.A. needed as their new head coach. Redick is committed to both transforming and modernizing the Lakers.

JJ has the Lakers off to their best start in years. LA currently has a 9–4 record for the season, is undefeated at home, has a 5-game winning streak, and now holds 4th place in the highly competitive Western Conference.
After playing with the starting lineup that made last season’s West Finals and going 1–4 on their first road trip, Redick replaced D’Angelo Russell with Cam Reddish in the starting lineup and the team has now won five straight.

Trading for Smart and Williams would enable the Lakers to dramatically improve their starting point guard and center and upgrade their defense to be top-5 championship caliber just like their current top-5 NBA offense.
Adding an elite point-of-attack defensive guard like Marcus Smart and a DPOY quality big like Robert Williams III simply transforms the Lakers two-bigs starting lineup into a torid offensive and defensive juggernaut.

The Lakers would now have a starting lineup of Smart, Reaves, James, Davis, Williams; a bench of Olivari, Christie, Knecht, Vanderbilt, Koloko; and a development group of Vincent, James Jr., Reddish, Wood, Hayes.
The beauty of the roster after trading for Smart and Williams is how deep the roster is at each of the five positions and how young the team is with LeBron James at 39 and Anthony Davis at 30 being the oldest players.

The Lakers’ 15-deep post-trade roster includes a championship caliber starting lineup, a dynamic bench that should be among the best in the league, and a group of reserves with great development potential.