After the disaster that was the 2021-22 season, wholesale changes were needed for the Los Angeles Lakers and they have proceeded to do just that. A lot of the old heads on the team last season were not retained as the Lakers decided to go younger in an attempt to return to the playoffs.
Their latest acquisition was Dennis Schroder who returns to the team after playing for them in 2020-21. It is a low-risk move as Schroder is on a veteran’s minimum deal, and on the odd chance that it doesn’t work out, the Lakers can easily ship him out of town. On the plus side, he gives them another option in the backcourt should Russell Westbrook continue to struggle, so the signing does bring some optimism.
Brian Windhorst Thinks The Lakers Organization Doesn’t Actually Believe In Their Roster
Despite bringing in Schroder along with the likes of Patrick Beverley, Brian Windhorst isn’t too impressed with the job they have done in the offseason. He went as far as to say on NBA Today on ESPN that the organization doesn’t believe in the roster they have constructed because of their shooting woes.
.@WindhorstESPN did not hold back in his reaction to the Lakers' off-season signings 🥶
"And this can be used as receipts later. You can use this against me, I guess, Lakers." pic.twitter.com/oFByVBHYRT
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 19, 2022
“So, you are looking at all these guys who don’t shoot the ball well in a league where shooting is at a premium. But for the last 15 years in this league, every team that has LeBron James it’s shooting, shooting, shooting, shooting. Their best shooter among all these guys is Kendrick Nunn who hasn’t played (in) a year and we don’t even know how healthy he is going to be at the start of the season.”
“I just do not believe and this can be used as receipts later, you can use this against me, I guess, Lakers. I don’t believe that the basketball people in this organization believe that this is a group that’s actually gonna work. I just don’t believe it. I think they took a guy here who they think is a good value at a minimum contract and they thought ‘we are going to do some major makeover here and eventually it will make sense.’ so I would just say I will wait till it makes sense but right now it does not.”
Beverley, Schroder, and Russell Westbrook all shot under 35% from beyond the arc last season and that is not ideal for a backcourt in this day and age. Beverley, however, had shot above 38% in his 6 seasons prior to 2021-22 so perhaps what we saw last season was just an aberration, at least that is what the Lakers will be hoping.
They do realize that they need some shooting, as reports indicate they are targeting the likes of Bojan Bogdanovic and Malik Beasley. Both of them shoot around 39% from beyond the arc for their careers and will help spread the floor, which will bring more balance to this team.
