Getty Demetrius Jackson, formerly of the Boston Celtics, carries the ball against the New York Knicks.
Seemingly out of nowhere, the Lakers made their decision on the final roster spot for the 2019-2020 season. Veteran free-agent point guard Demetrius Jackson was brought on to help bolster what could be a possible position of concern. With only Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo, and Quinn Cook (kind of) on the roster as true point guards, Jackson should help offer a bit more backcourt depth.
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Lakers Sign Free Agent Point Guard Demetrius Jackson to Fill Final Roster Spot
Jackson has played for a number of teams since leaving Notre Dame, making stops on the Celtics, Rockets, and Sixers. While he spent the majority of his time in the G-League, he saw some limited reps on the NBA level – though he hasn’t had much of a sample size to really show what he can do in the NBA.
In the G-League, Jackson was a monster averaging over 18 points per game to go along with 7.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds. While he is unlikely to put those same numbers up in the NBA, he is a solid perimeter defender despite his size and should be able to focus a bit more on facilitating the basketball at the NBA level.
Jackson shouldn’t be expected to play major minutes for the Lakers unless any major injury occurs but his presence allows the Lakers to be a bit more creative in how they keep the aging Rajon Rondo fresh as they hope to be in a position to unlock “Playoff Rondo” when the season winds down.
Lakers Roster Finalized Ahead of Training Camp
PG: Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo, Quinn Cook, Demetrius Jackson
SG: Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Troy Daniels
SF: LeBron James, Talen-Horton Tucker
PF: Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, Jared Dudley
C: DeMarcus Cousins, JaVale McGee
Two-Way: Kostas Antetokuonmpo, Zach Norvell Jr.
Exhibit 10: Aric Holman, Devontae Cacok, Jordan Caroline
With the Lakers roster fully set in stone, we can start to get an idea for what sort of rotations the Lakers are most likely to play. While a jumbo set of James, Davis, Green, Kuzma, and Cousins is sure to get some run, there are a number of other ways that new head coach Frank Vogel can tinker the lineup.
With the ability to slide Davis up to center, the Lakers can unlock an incredibly mobile small-ball lineup featuring a number of perimeter defenders and shooters surrounding James. A lineup like this could be crucial in helping to shut down teams like the Warriors, who rely heavily on ball movement and perimeter shooting to overwhelm their opponents.
The Lakers roster seems much better suited to complement the skills of James compared to last year’s unit as well. As mentioned above, the backcourt is littered with shooters, something the Lakers lacked last season. With effective floor spacing surrounding James and Davis, the Lakers look poised to do some considerable damage to the NBA.
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