Getty Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers
Having won five of their last six games, the Los Angeles Lakers are slowly climbing the Western Conference rankings and suddenly look like a playoff team.
However, according to JJ Redick, who was speaking on a December 5 episode of his Old Man and the Three podcast, the Lakers still have some roster construction issues that could come back to haunt them in the postseason.
“The Miami Heat teams and the Cleveland Cavaliers teams were built to optimize LeBron by surrounding him with shooting, and the Lakers did that initially. They won a championship. And then, the last two seasons, they’ve completely gone away from that. I’ll make the point again. I’ll make the point again. If Anthony Davis is playing like a top-five player, if he’s playing at this level, maybe that lack of shooting does not matter. But I think there’s a corresponding thing here with them shooting the s**t out of the ball and Anthony Davis hooping,” Redick said.
Perimeter shooting has been a significant issue for the Lakers over the past season and a half, and given the half-court nature of the playoffs, Redick may have a point. However, if LeBron James and Anthony Davis continue to perform like top-10 players in the NBA, and Los Angeles’ role players can sustain between 35-37% shooting from deep, the Lakers will likely be a force, regardless of their lack of a genuine sharpshooter.
Darvin Ham Believes Davis’ is Ready to Lead The Lakers
Speaking to the media on December 4, following Davis’ 55-point performance against the Washington Wizards, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham explained his belief that Davis is ready to assume the mantle as Los Angeles’ best player.
“He [AD] wants to be that guy for the team… I’m just thrilled by the way he’s been playing.” Darvin Ham on @AntDavis23‘s performance.
“I’ve been putting AD’s name on it, since day one. And it does help Bron, it allows him to be more efficient with his energy, more efficient with his workload. There are times where again, we can go through AD and just feed AD, feed AD, feed AD, and we’re not worried about LeBron having to be a world-beater or trying to make plays through three or four people. And Russ is in the same boat, allowing him to be able to play more freer.
AD, he wants it. He wants to be that guy. He wants to be the guy for the team. And, I think it’s beautiful to watch because his teammates, they’re encouraging him, they’re trying to give him the ball,” Ham said.
Davis is currently averaging 28.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 59% from the field and 33.3% from deep, numbers which have recently propelled the 29-year-old into the MVP discussion.
Lakers Had ‘Internal Discussions’ on Adding Shooting
According to a December 2 report by ESPN’s Zach Lowe on the Lowe Post Podcast, the Lakers have held internal discussions regarding a potential trade for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic – a move that would resolve some of the team’s half-court offensive woes.
“The trade I saw on Twitter was Russ (Russell Westbrook) and both picks, one with light protections, I think for DeRozan and Vucevic…I can tell you 100 percent for sure that the Lakers have had internal discussions about that very possibility if it would ever come up,” Lowe said.
Per ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the #Bulls are willing to trade Zach LaVine to the #Pelicans as a part of an Anthony Davis trade, in exchange for the 4th pick (and maybe more) from the #Lakers.
Things are about to get crazy leading up to the #NBADraft. #BullsNation
DeRozan, a mid-range specialist, is a career 28.8% shooter from deep and would unlikely provide the spacing that LeBron and Davis need to be successful, while Vucevic is slightly more consistent from the perimeter, hitting 34.6% of his outside looks.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they will likely need to look elsewhere if they want to improve their floor spacing; luckily, they have until the February trade deadline to do so. And, if the Lakers can keep winning at their current pace, the team should be well-situated for a playoff run by the time a potential trade is made.