Seton Hall
NBA season recap series: Los Angeles Lakers
Date: November 13, 2020By: Ryan Johnston
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The Lakers had a disappointing 2010’s. They set the franchise record for single season losses on multiple occasions and had a six-year playoff drought, a stark reality check for a franchise that had only missed the playoffs four other times in the organization’s history.
However, the signing of Lebron James turned around the Lakers’ fortunes. Through savvy trades and other great signings, the Lakers started the 2020’s by winning the NBA Championship. That being said, the Lakers are far from perfect, and with a critical offseason coming up, the Lakers may need to change up their roster to repeat as champions.
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James’ season this year was just … so Lebron. He’s just in a category of his own at this point. James averaged 25 points, eight rebounds, and ten assists at age 35 this season. Here’s the list of people who averaged those stats at age 35: Lebron James.
He earned his 16th consecutive All-Star appearance and his 13th All-NBA First Team bid while finishing second in the NBA MVP ladder. He rounded out this season by leading the Lakers to their 17th championship, his fourth, winning Finals MVP in the process. His partner-in-crime, Anthony Davis, had almost an equally impressive year.
Davis was traded to the Lakers for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and draft picks, and he did not disappoint. Davis averaged 26 points, nine rebounds, and three assists on the season, but he turned that up a level in the playoffs, averaging 28 points, ten rebounds, and three and a half assists. The Brow was just as dominant on defense, averaging two blocks and one and a half steals and winning the Defensive Player of the Year.
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Beyond those two, the Lakers played solid team basketball. Alex Caruso is coming into his own; he earned a full roster spot after being on a two-way contract last year and should be a solid piece for years to come.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a rocky start to the season, so much so that many fans were calling for him to be traded, but he found his form and shot his way to his most efficient season to date. He was a vital piece in the Finals, shooting lights out in the first half of game six. Dwight Howard enjoyed a career resurgence in Los Angeles this year; after being branded as “problematic” and “washed up” by many members of the NBA fandom and media, Howard was a vital rotation piece, playing solid defense and providing great energy off the bench.
The Lakers’ team defense and star power were their biggest strengths. They had the third-best defensive rating in the league as well as the third-best net rating in the league. And with Davis and James, the Lakers had the two best players on the court in every playoff series that they played.
Finally, the masterful coaching of Frank Vogel played a huge part in their championship win. He did an excellent job of moving around his pieces to match up well with the opponent; he played Howard heavy minutes to guard Jokic in the Western Conference Finals, and he then shifted those minutes to Rajon Rondo and Caruso in the Finals to guard the smaller Miami Heat.
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However, nothing is ever perfect in the City of Angels. The Lakers still had a few problems with their team. Despite playing well for most of the season, Danny Green struggled mightily in the bubble and playoffs. Green shot just 25.8 percent from three in the Finals, and his brick in the final moments of Game Five had many fans clamoring for him to be traded. It was so bad that many fans started calling him “Danny Red,” a reference to a poor shooting release from NBA 2K. Because of Green’s struggles, the Lakers could look a bit clogged up on the floor without their primary shooter.
The other primary issue for the Lakers was depth. They had many players who could come in and play solid defense, but they lacked a true third option off the bench. Rondo and Kyle Kuzma were probably the closest that the Lakers had to an off-the-bench scorer, which is troubling because neither of the two are very efficient scorers.
Obviously, it didn’t cost the Lakers too much this year, but as the team (especially Lebron) gets older, they may have to spread around the minutes more than they did this year. The Lakers cannot cave into the fans and trade Green. Though he had a rough time in the bubble, Green has proved himself again and again to be a premier shooter and defender.
One season does not define his career. More than that, it would be very difficult to replace him. Shooters tend to be expensive; it’s all JJ Redick can do, and he earns $13 million a year. The Lakers simply don’t have the cap to sign another shooter like Green, and after his poor playoffs, his trade value is too low to trade him. Green stays.
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The Lakers roster should stay fairly consistent. Rajon Rondo may plan on leaving, as he reportedly opted out of his $2.69 million player option. He hasn’t ruled out a return to Tinseltown, but don’t be surprised if he opts for more money and a bigger role on a different team.
Howard may also leave; after his comeback and title, he has no real reason to stay. He will probably be looking for a bigger contract which again, the Lakers just don’t have enough space to accommodate. Even Caldwell-Pope has an expiring contract, but he seems unlikely to leave.
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So, assuming both Rondo and Howard leave, how should the Lakers redistribute their touches and minutes? For starters, they need to give a chunk of Rondo’s minutes to Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker. Caruso proved himself this season to be a solid player who can defend and distribute the ball, and Horton-Tucker is a young player who has the potential to be an All-NBA Defensive Team member.
The Lakers should look into bringing back Isaiah Thomas. He’s low-risk, high reward, and he could provide the scoring boost that the Lakers need off the bench. He’ll likely never return to his form in his stellar 2016-17 season, but Thomas could be a great signing for the Lakers this offseason.
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Replacing Howard is a little trickier. The energy and defense he brought cannot be easily replicated. One player the Lakers should definitely look into signing is Christian Wood. He may be a little expensive after his stellar end to the season, but if they can afford him, they should go after him. Wood fits really well with the three big-man system that the Lakers employed this year. He’s a versatile offensive threat, shooting 57% from the field and almost 39% from three-point range. He could really take this already-great Lakers team to the next level with his ability to be the third option on offense as another player that can create for himself.
If he’s too expensive, the Lakers could opt for a Marc Gasol or Aaron Baynes, someone who may not have the same offensive prowess as Wood but can provide great leadership and defense.
The Lakers have struggled for a long time (at least long for the Lakers), but they’ve finally made their way back to the top of the mountain. They may need to fill some key bench spots in free agency, but all the pieces are there for them to repeat as champions.
Ryan Johnston can be reached at ryan.johnston@student.shu.edu.
