Why Joakim Noah Should Replace DeMarcus Cousins As Lakers New Center

The Lakers are going to evaluate different centers because they need to replace DeMarcus Cousins, who tore his ACL while working out in Las Vegas and could miss the entire 2019-20 season.

The Lakers are forced to look for frontcourt help because, as explained by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, the injury is severe: “In the past five years, no player has come back from an ACL tear in shorter than 11 months. The past two players to suffer ACL injuries in August (Dante Exum in 2015 and Brandon Knight in 2017) didn’t return until training camp the following year.”

DeMarcus Cousins signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Lakers and it seems highly unlikely that he will suit up at all for the Lakers this season. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, “the Lakers are planning individual workouts to evaluate centers Joakim Noah, Dwight Howard and Mo Speights this week in Los Angeles.”

Wojnarowski added that the Lakers want “a window into physical condition and mindset of a potential addition.”

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Why Joakim Noah Could Work for the Lakers

Joakim Noah spent nine seasons with the Bulls, averaging 9.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 blocks in 29.5 minutes over 572 games (465 starts) before signing a four-year, $72 million contract with the Knicks on July 8, 2016 but he failed to meet expectations in New York because of multiple injuries and a suspension for violating the NBA‘s anti-drug policy.

The Knicks waived him because they were unable to reach a buyout agreement and he joined the Grizzlies last season and resurrected his career, averaging 7.1 points 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 16.5 minutes over 42 games (one start).

A viral video that made the rounds on the internet this morning is one of the reasons why I think Noah would fit with the Lakers.

In the video, Suns star guard Devin Booker is complaining about getting double-teamed during an open gym pick-up game.

The double team was sent by Noah, who wanted to trap Booker in the corner. Booker lost the ball out of bounds and this is the exchange they had:

Devin Booker: Hey, bro. We’re not doubling in open gym, bro

Joakim Noah: Yeah, we are

Booker: “I get that s–t all season, bro. Come on man

Noah: Yeah, we are

Booker: Let’s work on our game, bro

Noah: Yeah, we are

Booker: Let’s work on our game

Noah: It’s part of the game

Booker: Running a double in open gym?

Noah: Yeah

While Devin Booker is correct that double teams are a bit aggressive for an open gym game, if he says that he is seeing double teams all season then Noah is also right and players should want to use the offseason to work on aspects that are challenging to their games.

Noah, a two-time NBA All-Star and a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year, led the Grizzlies with a plus-3.5 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) last season and you can count on him to play hard and understand his role. The 34-year-old can give the Lakers grit and grind for 15-20 minutes off the bench and last season he proved he can still defend and rebound.

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