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How Can Lakers Integrate Returning Defenders Without Stifling Offense?

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The challenge for Darvin Ham will be how to integrate 4 defense-first role players returning from injury into the offense-first 9-man starting lineup and rotation that has transformed the Lakers into an offensive juggernaut.

There’s no question the Lakers’ new starting lineup of Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Davis and 4-man bench of Dinwiddie, Prince, Wood, and Hayes have been magnificent, winning 6 of their last 7 games.
The Lakers’ new 9-man rotation has increased their offensive rating to top-5 in the league with only a minor decrease in defensive rating in the 16 games since Ham decided to start Russell and Reaves as team’s backcourt.

But the likely need for better point-of-attack perimeter defense than what a Russell and Reaves backcourt could provide and the possible return from injury of Reddish, Christie, Vincent, and Vanderbilt could portend change. Everyone knows defense wins championships but the offensive talent in the NBA is now so dominant that ‘great offense beating great defense’ has become the norm, which is exactly what we’re seeing from the Lakers.

After struggling to build a defense-first starting lineup and rotation that could win games, Ham was forced by injuries to return to the same starting lineup the Lakers used to make it to the conference finals last season.
That current starting lineup of Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Davis and 9-player rotation with Dinwiddie, Prince, Wood, and Hayes as primary backups has been playing great during the last 16 games stretch.

Darvin Ham’s biggest mistake was forgetting how important great offense is to winning in the NBA. In retrospect, you build championship starting lineups by understanding that great offense usually beats great defense.
Ham should have prioritized continuity and stuck with the starting lineup that carried the Lakers to the conference finals instead of deciding to break up the Russell and Reaves starting backcourt because they couldn’t defend..

Let’s look at the options Ham could have to tweak the starting lineup and rotation with the signing of Spencer Dinwiddie and possible return from injury of Cam Reddish, Max Christie, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt.

Starting Lineup Options

While there are concerns whether D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves can be a championship backcourt, reports indicate the Lakers would prefer to retain the current starting lineup for continuity for the foreseeable future.

There’s no question experience playing with each other was a major factor in how quickly and easily it was for the core group from last year’s starting lineup to immediately click and gain rapport when playing together again. Considering DLO’s evolution as third star, Reaves’ resurgence after a tough start, Davis’ emergence as a legitimate point center, and Rui’s embrace of full playoff-mode attack, this could be LeBron’s best supporting cast ever.

The only reason the Lakers should consider changing the current starting lineup of D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis would be for better point-of-attack perimeter defense.
There certainly will be matchups where the Lakers could benefit from having a better point-of-attack perimeter defender like Dinwiddie, Vincent, Reddish, Christie, or Vanderbilt if he can return before the end of season.

The single obvious move the Lakers could consider would be to revert to the starting lineup they used to get to the conference finals last season, which would mean Jarred Vanderbilt replacing Rui Hachimura at the three.
That’s a change the Lakers would be smart to consider heading into the playoffs should Vanderbilt’s injury turn out not to be season-ending. Vando is the one defender who is a big enough difference maker to be a starter.

The other possible starting lineup the Lakers should consider is Spencer Dinwiddie replacing Rui Hachimura, which would essentially have the Lakers playing a three-guard lineup with Russell, Reaves, and Dinwiddie. Everybody knows Darvin Ham loves 3-guard lineups so expect to see a lot of Russell, Reaves, and Dinwiddie lineups, especially when teams go small. Dinwiddie just has a bigger bag of skills to impact teammates than Rui.

In the end, the Lakers are likely to continue Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Davis as starters for the remaining 26 games on the regular season schedule and trust they have the bench to backup their starters.

Primary Backup Options

The Lakers current 9-man rotation includes a bench of new point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, former starter Taurean Prince, stretch four Christian Wood, and athletic rim protector and offensive rebounder Jaxson Hayes.

The challenge facing Lakers’ coach Darvin Ham is what does he do when Cam Reddish, Max Christie, and Gabe Vincent are finally healthy and ready to go or if Jarred Vanderbilt’s injury is not season-ending and he’s available?
Ham would be smart to not try and force Reddish, Christie, or Vincent into the current rotation unless there’s an injury. Frankly, Vanderbilt is the only one of the four returning defenders that clearly deserves rotation minutes.

The 30–26 Lakers have won 3 in a row and 6 of last 7 games. They’re 9th in the West and with 26 games left, 2.0 games behind the Kings for 8th, 2.5 behind the Mavs for 7th, and 3.5 games behind Pelicans and Suns for 5th. Last season, the Lakers were 25–31 after 56 games and 13th in the West, forcing them to go 18–8 over last 26 games to finish 43–39 and 7th in West. If the Lakers can go 18–8 this year, they’d finish 48–34 and be 5th in West.

The Lakers need to commit to the current offensive-oriented starting lineup and 9-man rotation. Right now, the best backups for Russell and Reaves are Dinwiddie and Christie, who are both better defensively.
While the Lakers could certainly use the defense Christie and Reddish could provide now and Vincent and Vanderbilt might be able to provide later, Ham needs to be careful not to stifle their offensive juggernaut.

Ham’s best strategy is to limit changes to the Lakers’ current 9-man rotation to adding one additional perimeter defender to create a 10-man rotation, which could be scaled down further once the team makes the playoffs.
The key to the Lakers being able to replicate last season’s stretch run is health. Right now, the team is close to being as healthy as they have been all season. Their path to the playoffs should be much easier this season.

The Lakers should commit to a new 10-player rotation with Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Davis as the starting lineup and Dinwiddie, Prince, Vanderbilt (Christie if no Vando), Wood, and Hayes coming off the bench.

How Los Angeles Lakers Reinvented Themselves As Offensive Juggernaut

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The Lakers used D’Angelo Russell’s evolution, Austin Reaves’ resurgence, Anthony Davis’ playmaking, an all-offense starting lineup, and a 3-point shooting revolution to reinvent themselves as an offensive juggernaut.

After spending the season’s first 40 games trying to build a defense-first starting lineup and rotation, the Lakers suddenly surprised everybody and spent the last 16 games reinventing themselves as an offensive juggernaut.
With injuries to the team’s top defenders like Vanderbilt, Vincent, Reddish, and Christie, Ham was finally forced to play his top offensive players in a move that may have changed everything and saved the Lakers’ season.

For the first 40 games of the season, the 19–21 Lakers were firmly mired in 13th place in the Western Conference with a low offensive rating of 112.2 (#23), fair defensive rating of 114.0 (#14), and poor net rating of -1.8 (#21).
Over the last 16 games, the Lakers turned their season around, winning 11 of 16, solidifying 9th place in the West, and posting elite offensive rating of 120.2 (#4), defensive rating of 116.5 (#21), and net rating of +3.7 (#8).

The Lakers raised their offensive rating from 112.1 the first 40 games to 120.2 last 16 games, an offensive boost of 8.1 points per game at a cost of just 2.5 points per game on defense, for a net improvement of +5.6 points.
The 30–26 Lakers have won 3 straight and 6 of last 7 games, They’re 9th in the West, 2 games behind Kings for 8th, 2.5 games behind Mavs for 7th, and just 3.5 games behind Pelicans for 6th and Suns for 5th seed in the West.

So let’s take a deeper dive into how the Los Angeles Lakers reinvented themselves as an offensive juggernaut and repositioned themselves as the NBA team that other playoff teams do not want to meet in the playoffs.

D’Angelo Russell’s Evolution

D’Angelo Russell’s evolution into the difference-making third star and elite volume 3-point shooter the Lakers desperately need has been the driving force behind their emergence as a legitimate championship contender.

During the season’s first 40 games, Russell posted 15.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 29.1 minutes per game, while shooting 47.1% from the field, 39.4% from deep, and 76.0% from the line.
During the season’s last 16 games, DLO averaged 22.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 36.4 minutes per game, while shooting 45.5% from the field, 45.3% from deep, and 88.2% from the line.

It’s no coincidence that the Lakers rise from the dead began when Darvin Ham decided to give the starting point guard job back to D’Angelo Russell 17 games ago as L.A. fell 2 games under .500 despite DLO’s 39-point night.
What changed that night was Russell deciding the best way he could complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis was to always be in attack mode to take advantage of them rather than always deferring to them.

As simplistic or naive as that decision might have been, give D’Angelo credit for going out over the last 15 games and proving that his theory was right and triggering a dramatic Lakers turnaround over the last 16 games.
During that 16 game run, Russell’s ppg jumped from 15.4 to 22.3, mpg from 29.1 to 36.4, FGA pg from 12.4 to 17.0, 3PA pg from 5.5 to 8.5, and 3PM pg from 2.2 to 3.9, 3P% pg from 39.4% to 45.3%, FT% from 76.0% to 88.2%.

Whether D’Angelo Russell can sustain this level of play will be a major factor in the Lakers becoming a legitimate championship contender the second half of the season and DLO earning a home in purple and gold.

Austin Reaves’ Resurgence

Austin Reaves’ resurgence over the last 15 games, following a subpar first 40 games of the season and concerns over his defense, eased any concerns the Lakers had about his future as they refused to trade him for Dejounte.

During the season’s first 40 games, Reaves posted 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.1 blocks in 30.0 minutes per game, while shooting 48.7% from the field, 34.4% from deep, and 86.9% from the line.
During the season’s last 16 games, Austin averaged 17.5 points, 3.1 boards, 6.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks in 33.8 minutes per game, while shooting 49.5% from the field, 40.1% from deep, and 85.0% from the line.

While Reaves did not need to reinvent his game like Russell to secure his starting role, he did need to show he could be counted on to be a strong enough scorer, playmaker, and defender to start on a championship team.
While Austin raised his level of play over the last 16 games, the Lakers may still want better perimeter defense than a Russell and Reaves backcourt could deliver, especially when defenders like Vando and Reddish get back.

Right now, Reaves is playing like he did during last season’s playoffs. His pairing with Russell has been special, shooting lights out from deep and showing his skill in getting buckets, free throws, and dimes in the paint.
Reaves’ biggest problem is his team-first attitude and willingness to come off the bench could make him vulnerable to being replaced as a starter by a better defender like Vanderbilt, Reddish, Vincent, Christie, or Dinwiddie.

Austin Reaves continues to grow in his role as the Lakers’ fourth star behind LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and D’Angelo Russell. He’s met the challenge by giving the Lakers’ starting lineup a fourth offensive star.

Anthony Davis’ Playmaking

The development of Anthony Davis as an elite playmaker not only elevated his offensive repertoire to the superstar level of his defensive arsenal but also turbo charged the Lakers’ elite new AD-centric half-court offense.

During the season’s first 40 games, Davis posted 25.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.6 blocks in 36.1 minutes per game, while shooting 55.1% from the field, 33.3% from deep, and 81.0% from the line.
During the season’s last 16 games, Anthony posted 24.4 points, 12.4 boards, 4.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks in 34.7 minutes per game, while shooting 55.6% from the field, 20.0% from deep, and 80.7% from the line.

The big statistical difference for Anthony Davis between the first 40 games and the last 16 games was the jump in assists from 3.5 to 4.7 per game. Through his 12-year career, Davis has averaged only 2.5 assists per game.
Davis’ improved passing has also caught the eye-tests of the announcers and pundits covering the NBA. Per Lakers, Davis been working a lot with James this season to improve his passing as a counter to double teams.

During their first 40 games when defense took priority over offense, the Lakers averaged 114.1 points per game, 19th in the league. During the last 16 games, the Lakers averaged 124.2 points per game, 2nd to Warriors.
During the Lakers’ first 40 games, the Lakers averaged 27.7 assists per game, which was 8th in the league. During the last 16 games, the Lakers have averaged 30.6 assists per game, which was 1st in the entire league.

Anthony Davis’ improved playmaking has transformed the Lakers’ half-court offense. AD’s ability to playmake at a superstar level has transformed their moribund half-court offense into a championship caliber attack.

All-Offense Starting Lineup

After 40-games of constant starting lineup tinkering and controversy, injuries to defenders finally forced Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham to return to a D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves offense-first backcourt.

The benefits of the Lakers finally having a modern lineup with five players who can space the court, make plays for their teammates, and were key to making last year’s conference finals were obvious over the last 16 games. Suddenly, the lack of continuity and chemistry that plagued the first 40 games seemed to magically disappear the last 16 games with the Lakers’ new starting lineup of Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Davis.

One of the major coaching challenges in the NBA is finding that critical balance between offense and defense that would optimize winning and Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham has certainly struggled with that issue.
While there’s truth in the cliche that defense wins championships, the goal of the game of basketball is to put the ball through the hoop more times than your opponent does. That’s a lesson Darvin Ham needed to learn.

The Lakers’ new offense-first starting lineup may still need better perimeter defense down the line but for now it’s brought desperately needed continuity and stability for the team’s entire 12-man rotation.
The bigger challenge will come when the Lakers return to play the remaining 26 games on the schedule with a goal of at least climbing into the top-6 teams in the West to get a guaranteed seed in the playoffs.

Injuries and coaching inexperience led the Lakers to struggle with their starting lineups during the first 40 games but their new all-offense starting lineup of Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Davis is a big winner.

3-Point Shooting Revolution

Laker Players’ 3-Point Shooting Last 16 Games

What D’Angelo Russell’s evolution, Austin Reaves’ resurgence, Anthony Davis’ playmaking, and an all-offense starting lineup have done is launch a 3-point revolution to transform the Lakers into an offensive juggernaut.

During the first 40 games of the season, the Lakers were 28th in the league with only 10.9 made threes per game, 30th in the league with just 30.5 attempted threes per game, and 22nd in league shooting 35.8% on threes.
During the last 16 games, however, the Lakers ranked 16th in the league with 12.4 made threes per game, 25th in the league with 31.2 attempted threes per game, and 3rd in the entire league shooting 39.9% on threes.

The main benefit of the Lakers’ 3-point revolution is how it changes their blueprint of how to win games, which is dominate points-in-the-paint and made-free-throws to overcome their usual negative 3-point differential.
While sustaining this level of 3-point shooting may be hard, the Lakers’ enhancements were due to better process, more spacing, fewer turnovers, smarter shot selection, improved ball movement, and increased assists.

During the first 40 games, the Lakers 3-point differential was -10.5 points per game. During the last 16 games, that same differential was just -3.6 points per game, a 3-point differential improvement of 6.9 points per game.
During first 40 games, Lakers lost 3PM by 10.5 points but won PIP and FTM by 8.6 points for a -1.9 net difference. Over last 16 games, they won 3PM by 6.9 points and PIP and FTM by 9.5 points for a 16.5 point net differential.

The Lakers have parlayed D’Angelo Russell’s evolution, Austin Reaves’ resurgence, Anthony Davis’ playmaking, and a new all-offense starting lineup into a 3-point revolution that’s transformed their blueprint to win.

Three Players Who Transform Lakers Into Legitimate Championship Team

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The Los Angeles Lakers must go-all in on a blockbuster trade before the deadline because they won’t have many more, if any, seasons like this left where both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are healthy and thriving.

The Lakers understand that the roster they’ve built around superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis has seriously flaws. They need better point-of-attack defense, 3-point shooting, and backup rim protection.
L.A.’s’ top options to fix their perimeter defense, long range shooting, and rim defense when AD rests are 3&D point guard Dejounte Murray, volume 3-point shooter Bogdan Bogdanovic, and defensive center Nic Claxton.

Strategically, the Lakers don’t have coveted mid-sized or large expiring contracts to trade, which means young players with upside like Austin Reaves and Max Christy or first round picks and swaps are their chips.
Since there will probably be more buyers than sellers at the trade deadline, the Lakers best trade strategy should be hold onto Reaves and Christie but give up their 2029 or 2030 first round pick plus a couple of pick swaps.

While it always seems like the Lakers’ chips are undervalued while their trade targets overvalued, Pelinka got great value for the pieces he moved last trade deadline so hopefully he’ll be able to repeat that strategy again.
The Lakers are counting on Rob Pelinka being able to replicate his trade deadline magic from last season and somehow, someway pull off a mega trade for Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Nic Claxton.

Let’s take a look at what a trade for Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Nic Claxton could look like, what their roles on the Lakers would be, and how each could individually help the Lakers win the championship.

Lakers, Hawks, & Nets 3-Team Trade

The Lakers trade a package of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, their protected 2029 pick, and 2028 and 2030 pick swaps for Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Nic Claxton.

Dejounte Murray gives the Lakers the speedy and athletic point-of-attack defender they need to transform their perimeter defense while Bogdanovic fills their need for an elite high volume, high percentage 3-point specialist.
Claxton gives the Lakers an elite rim protector and athletic dunker who could start alongside Anthony Davis in a two-bigs starting lineup and/or anchor the team defensively whenever Davis goes to the bench to rest.

The blockbuster trade gives the Lakers their new 3&D backcourt of the future with Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic, a major upgrade offensively and defensively over D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves.
The trade improves the Lakers by adding three rotation players, including two upgraded starters, while losing just two rotation players in Russell and Hachimura, since Hood-Schifino and Vincent have been non-factors.

Most importantly, the trade goes a long way towards fixing the Lakers three major issues: point-of-attack defense, 3-point shooting, and rim protection when Davis is on the bench, without sacrificing roster depth or diversity.
Imagine Lakers’ starting lineup of Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Jarred Vanderbilt, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, backed up by Austin Reaves, Max Christie, Taurean Prince, Christin Wood, and Nix Claxton.

While costing Russell and Hachimura, one of next summer’s three picks, and two of the team’s six potential pick swaps, the trade would transform the Lakers from a play-in squad to a legitimate championship caliber team.

Dejounte Murray, Point Guard of Future

The key player in the 7-player trade between the Lakers, Hawks, and Nets is without question Dejounte Murray, whom Los Angeles is hoping will have a breakout season and become the team’s two-way point guard of the future.

The Lakers are hoping Dejounte, freed from having to share the ball with Trae, will enjoy a season like his final season with the Spurs when he was the primary point guard and won NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors. Murray averaged 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 2.0 steals in 34.8 minutes per game that season, was traded to the Hawks for filler and 3 first round picks, and then signed a 4-year $114 million extension with Atlanta.

While he’s maintained his shot attempts and points per game playing with Trae, Dejounte’s rebounds and assists per game have declined from 8.3 and 9.2 per game when with the Spurs to 5.1 and 5.2 per game with the Hawks.
The Lakers hope Dejounte Murray’s game will be unleashed by not having to share the ball with Trae Young in the same way that Tyrese Haliburton’s game was unleashed by not having to share the ball with De’Aaron Fox.

While there are concerns that Dejounte’s defense may have regressed while playing for the Hawks and that his dramatically improved 3-point shooting this season may not be sustainable, L.A. still believes Murray’s the answer.
The challenge will be convincing the Hawks to give up Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic without receiving Austin Reaves as part of return. I’m hoping Pelinka can somehow get the Hawks to agree to the deal.

With the recent injury news about Jarred Vanderbilt, the pressure on the Lakers to trade for Dejounte Murray is only going to increase as they now desperately need an elite point-of-attack defender to be a legit contender.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, Volume #3-Point Shooter

Bogdan Bogdanovic is the perfect high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter to give the Lakers the 3 or 4 made threes per game they need to reduce their 10-points per game negative 3-point shooting differential.

Despite ranking 14th in the league with a 36.9% percentage from deep, the Lakers still rank 30th or dead last in the league with just 30.7 attempted threes per game and 28th in the league with 10.8 made threes per game.
The Lakers problem is they simply do not take enough 3-point attempts per game to make enough 3-point shots to keep pace with their opponents. Instead, the try to offset poor shooting with paint points and free throws.

What the Lakers need are players who take 8 to 10 threes per game and make 3 to 4 of them. Bogdanovic currently makes 3.2 out of 8.4 threes taken per game (both more than anybody on Lakers) for a 37.5% clip.
Add those stats to Murray’s 2.3 makes out of 6.2 takes for 37.6% and Lakers’ new backcourt makes 5.5 threes out of 14.6 attempts for 37.5% vs. 4.3 makes out of 10.9 attempts for 39.4% for Russell and Reaves combined.

That’s 1.2 made threes per game or 3.6 points. Were the Lakers to increase their made threes per game from its current 11.3 per game to 12.5 per game, they would jump from 28th to 15th in the league in made threes.
Having just one high volume 3-point shooter like Bogdan could cut the Lakers’ usual 10-point per game negative 3-point shooting differential in half and eliminate a lot of those losses because Lakers cannot shoot.

The Lakers can transform their winning blueprint by adding a proven high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter like Bogdan Bogdanovic who can cut their 10-point per game negative 3-point shooting differential in half.

Nic Claxton, Rim Attacker and Protector

Word that Brooklyn is willing to consider trading center Nic Claxton could be the news the Lakers were waiting to hear as the Nets’ defensive center is exactly what the Lakers need a second big to play with and backup AD.

Claxton is 24-year old, 5-year veteran center averaging 12.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 0.7 steals in 29.8 minutes per game. Nic could start alongside Anthony Davis or back him up off the bench.
Nic’s 6′ 11″ and 215 lbs would give the Lakers another elite defensive big to help them deal with teams with jumbo big centers like the Nuggets with Jokic, Celtics with Porzingis, 76ers with Embiid, and Bucks with Lopez.

Having a second elite rim protector would allow Lakers’ coach Darvin Ham to have a proven quality shot blocker on the court all 48 minutes of a game, Right now, the Lakers leak points in the paint like water when Davis sits.
Having Claxton to anchor the defense when AD is on the bench should be a major upgrade over Christian Wood or Jaxson Hayes. It will enable Wood to focus on continuing to be the Lakers stretch big when they need spacing.

Rebounding is the other area where Nic Claxton will be extremely valuable. Having a second big who can average double-digit rebounds can only help the Lakers generate more dominant offense and defense in the paint.
Claxton’s 3.0 offensive rebounds per game will also be a big factor as well his ability to throw down monster dunks and create highlight reel blocks to thrill and excite his teammates. Nic’s sure to become a Lakers fan favorite.

While the Lakers major need was to upgrade their offense, choosing Claxton over a stretch center like Kelly Olynyk would essentially be the Lakers doubling down on defense being the team’s primary identity.

Why Lakers Need Dejounte Murray Now More Than Trae Young Later

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The Lakers #1 priority should be to trade for Dejounte Murray right now even if it costs them multiple picks and swaps and a young star like Austin Reaves rather than saving picks to trade for Trae Young next summer.

Frankly, talk of the Lakers not trading their one available first round pick before the February 8 deadline so they could offer three first round picks for a superstar next summer is probably just posturing by Los Angeles.
The Lakers do not want to tie up their salary cap and roster flexibility by trading for a third superstar making over $40 million per year who can’t play defense and leaves the team unable to build a championship roster.

What the Lakers want is to find a potential superstar guard who’s stuck in a situation where he cannot be the best version of himself, a player who has the upside to be a superstar but is still on an affordable, tradable contract.
Specifically, the Los Angeles Lakers want to trade for an impact player who can immediately make them a dramatically better team, like Tyrese Haliburton did for the Pacers or O.G. Anunoby for the New York Knicks.

Watching Dejounte Murray dominate and lead the Hawks to an impressive blowout win, there’s no longer any question whether Dejounte Murray is the right fit for what the Lakers need to become legitimate contenders.

The Lakers appear now to be laser focused on trading for Hawks’ Dejounte Murray, whom they believe can return to being an all-star and all defensive NBA player once freed from playing next to ball dominant Trae Young.

Dejounte Murray’s unique blend of speed and athleticism, shooting and playmaking, offense and defense, and age and contract are a better fit to play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis than superstar Trae Young.
At 27-years old and capable of playing at a star level at both ends of the court, Murray is much better fit on the Lakers than Young, who would be L.A.’s logical target next summer if they ultimately pass on Dejounte.

The Lakers envision Dejounte Murray as the elite point-of-attack defender they need to anchor their perimeter defense, a bigger and better version of Dennis Schroder who also can be an All-Star scorer and offensive player.
Murray dissected the Lakers defense as he dominated his Lakers’ audition, using his great speed and athleticism to beat his defender to spots where he could easily elevate and sink wide-open 10-foot jumpers to close out game.

The Lakers have committed to a roster building philosophy that focuses on acquiring and developing talented young players who have not lived up to their promise but could thrive if given the right opportunity with L.A.

Dejounte Murray is the right candidate for the Lakers to invest in as their two-way point guard of the future. Still only 27, Dejounte has the raw speed and athleticism and elite shooting and playmaking to be a future star.

Right now, the Lakers are trying to get as much leverage as possible to avoid giving up Austin Reaves, which is why all the talk about saving the pick until next summer and possible trades with the Nets for 3&D wings.
The Lakers also know they must make a major move and that the time to make that move is now because this could be the Lakers and LeBron James’ final chance to win another NBA championship before the King retires.

Waiting until next summer is too late. If the Lakers don’t trade the pick and land Dejounte Murray, they seriously risk LeBron James deciding to decline his player option for next season and becoming an unrestricted free agent.
LeBron James walking away is the nuclear outcome Pelinka must avoid at all costs. While LeBron may no longer be able to dominate an entire series like he once could, he’s still a top-10 NBA player and the franchise face.

The Los Angeles Lakers have no choice but to go all-in on a blockbuster trade for the Hawks’ Dejounte Murray to become their point guard of the future, even if it costs multiple picks and swaps and Austin Reaves.

Dejounte Murray & D’Angelo Russell Could Be Lakers’ Backcourt of Future

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Rather than trading D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers would be smart to instead keep, re-sign, and slot him to be the team’s starting shooting guard next to Dejounte Murray to solve the Lakers negative 3-point shooting differential.

D’Angelo Russell’s transformation into a legitimate third star and volume 3-point shooter in the 7 games since he won back his starting point guard role should make the Lakers seriously reconsider the idea of trading him.
Frankly, it’s ludicrous to think a Lakers team desperately in need of a lethal volume 3-point shooter to offset their 10 points per game negative 3-point shooting differential would consider trading away exactly what they covet.

Russell has not only shown the Lakers he can generate the higher number of 3-point shot attempts needed to become a legitimate volume 3-point shooter but also that he can make those shots at a very high percentage.
For 7 games, D’Angelo averaged a team best 4.9 3PM out of a team best 9.1 3PA, helping the Lakers average 12.7 3PM (18th) during the 7 games, a big increase over their average of just 11.2 3PM (28th) for the full season.

The concern about a Murray and Russell backcourt would be the same that apparently doomed the Young and Murray backcourt, not enough touches, shots, or opportunities for two very ball dominant point guards to thrive.
The difference in my opinion is that Murray like Young needs the ball in his hands whereas Russell’s elite off-ball volume catch-and-shoot shot-making ability from deep is exactly what the Lakers have desperately needed.

Let’s take a look at why keeping D’Angelo Russell as the team’s starting shooting guard and pairing him in the backcourt with Dejounte Murray could be a pipe dream or nightmare depending on your point of view.

How D’Angelo Russell Reinvented Himself

After losing his starting point guard job and going to the bench, Russell reconsidered his role and decided the best way to complement James and Davis was to aggressively play off of them rather than deferring to them.

The result was Russell upping his normal 13.1 FGA per game to 18.9 FGA per game during last 7 games, second to LeBron James 19.2 FGA per game. D’Angelo essentially showed Lakers what they could get from a third star.
Since returning to the starting lineup 7 games ago, D’Angelo Russell has averaged 27.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.0 blocks while shooting 53.8% from the field, 53.1% from deep, and 88.9% from the line.

Most importantly, Russell showed the Lakers during this 7-game stretch he could be the lethal high-volume 3-point shooter they’re desperately looking for to reduce their normal 10 points per game negative 3-point differential.
For 7 games, D’Angelo averaged a team best 4.9 3PM out of a team best 9.1 3PA, helping the Lakers average 12.7 3PM (18th) during the 7 games, a big increase over their average of just 11.2 3PM (28th) for the full season.

While it’s unreasonable to expect Russell to be able sustain this production, the Lakers cannot ignore how D’Angelo has elevated his game and how trading him could end up being a bigger mistake than letting Caruso walk. D’Angelo has a great rapport with LeBron, Anthony, Austin, and the rest of the Lakers roster and has handled his demotion and return to the bench with admirable class and professionalism. Trading him would be foolish.

D’Angelo Russell is the starting shooting guard and desperately needed high-volume 3-point specialist the Lakers need to keep and pair with new point guard Dejounte Murray in a modern Lakers’ backcourt of the future.

Doubling Down On Chemistry and Continuity

The way teams build championship chemistry and continuity is by keeping their best players and selectively adding new candidates to that core until the roster has the talent, experience, character, and balance to win it all.

The smartest moves the Lakers can make is to keep the core from last year’s conference finals team and add one legitimate All-Star quality player and two elite role players to upgrade the roster to championship caliber.
The star the Lakers need to add is Dejounte Murray, who will become the team’s point guard of the future. Additionally, the Lakers need to add a second championship caliber big and another legitimate 3&D wing.

While the Lakers’ strategy was to trade Russell, other filler, and draft capital for Murray and a volume 3-point shooter like Bogdanovic, Russell taking and making more threes than Bogdan has changed everything.
Trading away a player who just showed you he can almost single-handedly reduce the team’s 10 points per game negative 3-point shooting differential in a search for some unproven 3-point shooting solution would be stupid.

While the Hawks want Reaves, the Lakers should hold firm. While some would like to see Austin start next to Dejounte, Reaves is better suited to come off bench as the Lakers’ Sixth Man. Russell should start at two guard.
The issues with Russell’s and Reaves’ values as players is partly due to the Lakers not slotting them in the correct roles with the complementary lineups. Both should be kept and optimized rather than lost like Caruso.

Ideally, the Lakers need to sit down with D’Angelo Russell and sell him on being the team’s starting shooting guard and 3-point specialist. Once they resolve that, they can proceed on trading for Murray and other tweaks.