Russell Westbrook isn’t the answer… literally every resource the Lakers have now need to be spent on shooting and defense
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July 29, 2021 17 Comments
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By July 29, 2021 17 Comments
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Hi, Spencer. The Lakers surprised everybody by pivoting from the Kings trade to the Wizards trade. Caught Woj and Shams too. Right now, trade needs major help in the form of shooting for the Lakers. Once we get that, I will love the trade. Lakers realize they need a Big Three to compete with the Nets and the trading chips heavy Warriors.
I think the Lakers have a master plan that includes Westbrook and Hield and I expect the trade to be expanded to include the Kings since it cannot be finalized until Kuzma’s poison pill expires on August 6th. That will enable the Wizards and Lakers to continue to expand and improve the trade. For example, the Lakers could use Davis Bertans at small forward for his shooting. I expect the Lakers to include Schroder once we’re in the new NBA season. The Wizards could use Dennis and the Lakers could then offer Kuzma (and maybe Caruso) for Hield.
Finally, the other thing I like about the trade it confirms Mark Stein’s report that the Lakers wanted a ‘difference-making playmaker’ so they could move LeBron to the four and AD to the five. With Russ added, it’s clear the Lakers aren’t going to go with a McGee or Howard at center this season. Time to get serious about winning #18.
WESTBROOK VS. SCHRODER?
MASSIVE UPGRADE AT POINT GUARD!
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
31.5 /11.5/11.7
48.5/31.5/65.6%
1.3 3PM PER 4.2 3PA FOR 31.5%
11.7 AST PER 4.8 TO FOR 2.44 RATIO
DENNIS SCHRODER
15.4/3.5/5.8 IN 32.1 MPG
43.7/33.5/84.8%
1.2 3PM PER 3.5 3PA FOR 33.5%
5.8 AST PER 2.7 TO FOR 2.15 RATIO
If you believed the Lakers had enough shooting to win this year if LeBron and AD were not injured, then the trade for Westbrook alone did make the Lakers a much more dangerous team. To win, we do need to get volume 3-point shooters for shooting guard and small forward.
For L.A.’s sake I hope Bradley Beal thinks Dennis Schroder is a good starting point guard (since I think recent reports state he’s staying for now) and we could then sign and trade him to Washington and (maybe) get Hield from Sacramento.
But Westbrook’s recent playoff history is troubling: too many emotions, too may missed shots; too many turnovers.
Russ has never been one to defer but hopefully LeBron and AD have talked to him and he’s ready to fill a role just like Harden did for the Nets.
Lakers vs. Nets is going to be a monster matchup.
Kyrie vs. LeBron.
KD vs. AD.
Russ vs. James
Yeah but he doesn’t have a “complementary” skillset. I guess in this case “deferring” would mean making Westbrook the primary facilitator and LeBron/AD as mostly scorers, but in the playoffs, I want the ball IN LeBron’s hands, not in Westbrook’s hands.
I think we’ll see Russ playing a lot leading the second unit without LeBron. I also think Russ wants to win and the Lakers wouldn’t have traded to him without feeling he was going to be a team player.
I’ll be optimistic if we start off hot again for a 3rd straight year (24-3 and 21-6 if I’m not mistaken). Until then/until the Lakers fill out the rest of the roster with some badly needed 3&D players, I’m in “prove it” mode.
I think L.A. can win the title, but I also think L.A. could lose to a team who schemes us out of having an competent offense.
I actually think we will be so talented offensively and competent defensively that we’ll be fine. Better than the Nets.
I worry more about cohesiveness and consistency on defense. I think playing with LeBron and AD on the Lakers will rejuvenate Russ, who started his rise due to his defense. Same with Buddy. But make no mistake, we need these guys to assimilate and get serious about playing D. Or we could struggle.
That’s why LeBron and AD moving down in position is so important. Those two playing the 4 and 5 is why we won the championship in the bubble. Having them playing major minutes all the time will change the team’s dynamic and culture.
And we’ll have an uber-motivated LeBron and Anthony and hopefully a Russ looking for redemption back home. I like the script.
Ain’t Dame, but this is a BIG 3! Hey LBJ, relax and sharpen that 3pt shot! : )
Perimeter defense gonna be an issue.
Yikes. Good opportunity for Frank to show his stuff hopefully. Defense is still more of a team game than most fans realize. We’ve always said who guys are playing with greatly affects their defensive rating. Now we’ll give that theory a real time test. It’s a huge gamble and we desperately need to improve our shooting but I like this better than rolling out the same team. Can’t stand still. Have to respond to the competition. Going to be fun. I’ve always been a big believer that a Big Three is the way to go now and is the insurance against stars getting injured.
The good thing is that perimeter defense is slightly overrated (even the best perimeter defenders get scored on by the best players) and the Lakers have two of the best help defenders in the NBA (LeBron and AD).
The problem is that Westbrook is taking the place of a pretty elite group of perimeter defenders that Vogel has had: Avery Bradley, KCP, and even Schroder
I just watched Jrue Holiday shut down CP3 and get a ring. The further you get in the playoffs the more important perimeter D becomes. Could be a reason why Russ & Harden still don’t have rings. And this is coming from a huge fan of Russ’
Did you also watch Phoenix lose when Devin Booker scored 40+ multiple times as well? Double edged sword there, I think.
Perimeter defense does get more important as games go on, but help defense is still the name of the game in today’s game.
Great points, Spencer. I thought Jrue’s performance was Iguodala-ish for a Finals. Lockdown defenders are rare in this league.
I was hoping the Laker would move up in the draft via the Hield trade as I wanted to get Davion Mitchell. He reminds me a lot of Jrue, just emanates danger to the ball handler that you can feel watching him. Maybe the Lakers can get him when the Kings join the trade.
Healthy AD at the five is going to change the Lakers defense and allow tighter defense and less switching on the perimeter. Can’t be putting Buddy and Russ on dinner plates for the other team’s offense. Now we’ll see how good a denensive coach Frank really is.
Booker scoring 40 while CP3 was being held to his worst games of the playoffs is pretty much the example of what I’m saying. I look at the last few champions and those teams had some DAWGS on the perimeter. I don’t see that so far in this roster especially if LeBron is defending the PF spot. We’ll see who we can add with the minimal resources we have left…