1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Tuesday “LAKERS–WHAT IS NEXT”
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“LAKERS–WHAT IS NEXT”
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The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 12-noon-Pacific.
The Lakers stole the headlines with the weekend trade for Dallas superstar Luka Doncic in the blockbuster Anthony Davis transaction.
Doncic arrives with a strong offensive resume. But he also arrives with lots of baggage. Things like a lack of commitment to playing NBA defense. The on going issues about maturity, conditioning, the injury factor.
Now the report the Mavs had no interest in retaining him because of all the glitches, part of it as a player, the rest of it as a person. The latest that he let his weight balloon up to nearly 270-pounds while he’s been on the injured list with this long-drawn out rehab for his calf problem. A weight far above what Dallas wanted, a weight assigned 245-pounds.
The Lakers have needs still.
Who is going to be the tough guy in the paint on defense? Is there a solid rebounder on this roster? How do you get points on the block or on the baseline?
Do you really believe Jaxon Hayes and Jared Vanderbilt scare anybody in the paint?
Is the new Mavs acquisition, the other guy, Maxi Kleber, tough enough at (6’10-240) wide enough to hold up in the paint, after being a role player in Dallas?
Are there some bigs out there still to be had on the trade block?
The best of the bunch is Utah’s Walker Kessler, but the Jazz are not going to move him and just take a 2031-first round pick. They want Austin Reaves in a deal, and that cannot happen for the Lakers.
Atlanta has journeyman pivot Clint Capela, but he’s not a banger, and he’s been on multiple NBA rosters and not really a difference maker.
Toronto wants to move its center Jakob Poelti, and Washington has veteran Jonas Valenciunas. But if you’ve seen those guys play, they do not bring much to the table.
Indiana has veteran wide body Myles Turner, but then again there is a price to pay, and if it is not Reaves, who else carries any clout in a deal.
Rui Hachimura is just a hot and cold player. Gabe Vincent has a history of injuries. Cam Reddish is just a guy.
You are not giving up on Dalton Knecht, last year’s number one, are you, already?
The rest of the roster is riff-raff.
Why didn’t Rob Pelinka demand one of Dallas’ two centers be part of this deal? They have 3-bigs on that Mavs roster. Should have tried to get Daniel Gafford included in the package.
Pelinka’s body of work is still lacking, despite pulling off this trade. You know, the Kyle Kuzma give away; the Russell Westbrook acquisition; letting Kantavious Caldwell Pope escape. It goes on and on.
So we await Doncic’s debut, at 266-pounds. We wait to see if this is a LeBron James offense, or one that runs thru the newly acquired guy wearing #77.
And we wait to see what the NBA Western Conference landscape looks like when the deadline is come and gone. Denver, San Antonio, Houston, Oklahoma City, even the Clippers, are obstacles up ahead heading to post season.
Yes the deadline is Thursday. Lakers…what is next, for what you just did is not enough?
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