Getty DeMarcus Cousins looks on during a Big 3 game between the Enemies and Power.
With the unfortunate injury to DeMarcus Cousins, the Lakers now find themselves exceptionally thin in the big man department. While JaVale McGee should be expected to take on a larger role, the Lakers would ideally like to land another center to help keep Anthony Davis playing the bulk of his minutes at power forward.
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Lakers Shouldn’t Rush to Add DeMarcus Cousins’ Replacement
Despite a glaring need at backup center, the Lakers don’t necessarily have to – and shouldn’t – rush to make their decision. With most teams’ rosters fully set as we close in on the start of training camp, the remaining player pool isn’t likely to get all that much thinner. While Dwight Howard is already expected to be bought out, there typically are a few players each year who wind up being surprising additions to the buyout market after training camp.
While the Lakers are most likely looking to add a player with a bit more seasoning to the roster, they could also hold off to pick from the scraps of players released after training camp. Intriguing names on exhibit 10 deals like Tacko Fall are expected to become available, though given the Lakers needs, finding a potential replacement from this pool of players seems highly unlikely.
While the Lakers will likely end up selecting from the same group of Noah, Howard, Speights, and Gortat that they are looking into now, a bit of patience might serve them well and give them the opportunity to find a diamond in the rough who could emerge later on.
Marreese Speights Receives Suprise Workout From Lakers
While Dwight Howard and Joakim Noah were popular names thrown around by both NBA analysts and fans alike, Marreese Speights seems to be a surprise addition to the Lakers’ workout invitation list. The big man went overseas and played in China last season where he would post some gaudy stat lines on the back of solid efficiency shooting the ball. Speights is certainly on the older side but offers a shooting and stretch upside that not many other players left available bring to the table.
His shooting, in particular, is what sets him apart and makes him such an intriguing fit for the Lakers. The ability to pull his defender out of the paint helps open up attacking lanes for Anthony Davis and LeBron James is exceedingly important and is something that neither Howard or Noah are capable of doing.
Speights is slightly younger than Noah and Howard as well and his body should be more than capable of giving the Lakers 15-20 quality minutes per night with the second unit. Especially given JaVale’s history of getting dinged up, having a sturdy and durable backup option becomes all that more important.
Speights is far from the favorite to replace Cousins at this point in time but if he puts on a strong showing in his individual workout, he could very easily find himself moving up the Lakers’ target list.