LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers proved themselves with a big win over the Bucks last night. Bron was close to unstoppable and L.A. showed that they had the fire-power to take on Milwaukee head-on.
Perhaps even more encouraging is the arrival of Dion Waiters, who the Lakers signed from free-agency following his release from the Heat. In need of an additional ball-handler, Waiters should provide a boost for the team.
But according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, L.A. almost acquired a different guard to help run the show.
Before the deadline, the Lakers made a run at former NBA MVP Derrick Rose.
Meanwhile, sources say the Lakers offered a package involving Alex Caruso and draft compensation for Derrick Rose, which was rejected as the Pistons had set a high value on the former NBA MVP. The Lakers stood pat at the deadline — and VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka instead upgraded the roster post-deadline. The Lakers remain the No. 1 seed in the West at 47-13.
With a heavy injury history at 31-years-old, Rose’s best days are behind him. He’ll never be the player he was in Chicago when he became the youngest MVP in league history.
But he is still capable of being a valuable guard. This season, in Detroit, he’s averaging 18 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds on 49% shooting. He is very much in the midst of a major resurgence and is probably Detroit’s second-best player right now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23pJqUbMLvU
With the Lakers, he obviously would have served as a better option than both Caruso and Waiters. At this stage of his career, Derrick has really expanded his game, becoming a multi-faceted scorer who can make shots from inside and out.
It’s a shame we’ll never get to see him compete for a title with the Purple and Gold.
