In the aftermath of another underwhelming season for the Los Angeles Lakers, former NBA champion James Worthy gave his take on where it all went wrong. According to Worthy, the Lakers didn’t have the right pieces to win the West, and they lacked the chemistry to compete with the NBA elite.
“When we did not get Mark Williams in that trade, I knew we could be successful throughout the regular season, but as you know and you’ve seen when you get with a team for seven games — look at what happened to Cleveland,” Worthy said, via Spectrum SportsNet. “A lot of teams that are favored, doesn’t always happen. I still don’t think the synergy was complete with Luka [Doncic]. It was a lot of things that were absent and it was tough to see that.
The Lakers had no desire to break up their core with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but they made an exception for Luka Doncic. Ever since his arrival, the Lakers have been scrambling to build a contender, but it hasn’t been easy so far.
In the days after the trade, they tried to acquire Hornets big man Mark Williams, but they ended up reneging on the deal at the last minute. The decision left them without a starting center, making them vulnerable in the frontcourt for the final stretch of the season. Finding a center will be a key point of focus for the Lakers this summer, as Worthy pointed out how important they’ve become in the modern NBA.
“The bigs went away until they revolutionized themselves. All of a sudden, you get Jookci and other centers shooting threes,” said Worthy. “Brook Lopez was almost out of the league, and then he learned how to shoot the three. So, yes, center’s important, and for us, defensively, it’s also important. Look at what Minnesota has done with Gobert. Not a great offensive guy, but a rim protector. The Bams, the Allens, the Mobleys, those types of guys who are agile, quick, and can get up and down the floor and check the rim.”
The Lakers are facing a critical summer, and it’s clear that they need to make some adjustments, especially in the frontcourt, if they want to make a run next season. While options are limited for the Lakers (hardly any assets available), there are a few players they could target in free agency or the trade market.
Someone like Brook Lopez from the Milwaukee Bucks would make a lot of sense for Los Angeles. He has experience playing for the franchise already, and his ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim on the other end makes him an ideal fit next to Doncic.
Another potential target is the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson. His role has been on the decline since Karl-Anthony Towns’ arrival, but he’d be a crucial piece of the Lakers, serving as a rim protector and floor spacer as a career 40.0% three-point shooter.
Whether it’s one of those bigs or someone else entirely, the Lakers will consider all their trade options this summer, and the fans trust that Rob Pelinka will do what’s best for the organization.
