![]() ![]() There’s a likelihood that one or both of them might not be the players they were last season. OK, so Matthews and Gasol are not spring chickens. Fans can expect more activity on offense when James or Davis have to hit the bench. Harrell is a good pick-and-roll partner and screener, but he’s also good at attacking the offensive glass for second-chance points (seventh in the NBA last year). Aside from being a 42 percent catch-and-shoot 3-point weapon, Schröder’s real gift is attacking slower defenders off the dribble and finishing at the rim – a younger, more spry version of what Rajon Rondo was able to do at times last season. It’s also important to note that Harrell and Schröder can play with their superstar teammates, but can also create offense for themselves. ![]() This might literally translate into Schröder and Harrell stepping up when James and Davis rest, or if there’s a positive coronavirus test that keeps the All-Stars from playing for an extended timeframe. Obviously, last season’s scoring numbers won’t be exactly what happens next season, given ball touches and the limitations of just how many shots everyone can get (James, Davis, Schröder and Harrell would be scoring 89 points per game by themselves).īut on offense, the Lakers give themselves more spacing (by getting Howard and McGee out of the paint) and more leeway for when James (who will turn 36 next month) or Davis have off-nights. ![]() So what the Lakers did was grab a third and fourth scorer, the two highest-scoring bench players in the league last season. It’s never really quite worked out as imagined with Kyle Kuzma, who averaged 12.8 points but didn’t crack 20 points in any playoff game. Since Anthony Davis came to Los Angeles, the Lakers have been in search of a third scorer. Here’s a look at what free agency shows us about what the Lakers were looking for and how things could play out this season: They retained Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Markieff Morris but Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard all went elsewhere while JaVale McGee and Danny Green were traded away.Įven as the Lakers sign just minimum contracts the rest of the way (and with a hard cap initiated, they’ll have to scavenge for those deals for the rest of free agency), they’ve truly changed their roster, and likely a good deal about how they play. In the first few days of free agency, the Lakers added Wesley Matthews, Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell, adding that trio to the trade for Dennis Schröder. The stars are the same, but much of the cast is profoundly different. A day after warning that complacency could be the Lakers’ greatest threat, General Manager Rob Pelinka showed how committed he was to shaking things up for the defending champions. ![]()
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