NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Los Angeles Lakers entered the NBA free agency period looking to make a splash after advancing to the Western Conference Finals but they walked away with a few “what if” deals. So far, the Lakers signed Rui Huchimura, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, Cam Reddish, D’Angelo Russell, Jaxson Hayes, and Taurean Prince to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
On paper, these are just “ok” moves but the real thing to remember here is that the Lakers pretty much resigned players from last season. Yes, they did advance to the Conference Finals but was that all based on talent or a little luck of the draw as well?
Hachimura was a great fit last season and Rob Pelinkia awarded his play with a new 3-year $51M deal. That’s great if he can produce the same magic he did after coming over at the trade deadline. While the suggestion is that he’s still young to put all the pieces together, let’s remember that was the same thing said about him and his time with the Washington Wizards.
The Los Angeles Lakers also made a splash when they snagged former Miami Heat guard Vincent and inked him to a 3-year $33M deal. For a team that was heavy on PGs last season, the Lakers are trying to play it smart and get players that are not as ball dominant as Russell Westbrook or Dennis Schroeder were. Having Vincent lead the second unit was a great move by Pelinka. But which version of Vincent are the Lakers getting?
Did The Los Angeles Lakers Win Free Agency
He’s not a starter-caliber player as we’ve seen in the playoffs and mostly throughout his career. He did manage things well during their playoff run last season but he also went MIA when needed against the Denver Nuggets in the Finals.
With Prince, that was more of a filler to replace Troy Brown Jr. Prince has been dogged by injuries throughout his career and he’s looking to turn things around. Reddish has become a journeyman and he’s going he can get back to form with LA. The same for Hayes as well. good cheap moves for the Lakers all the way around.
But the one thing that sticks out regarding the Lakers’ offseason moves so far is a lot of what it’s. What if Rui puts it all together? What if Vincent can learn to be a facilitator and a steady shooter from the perimeter? What if Prince can find his touch that’s been issuing for the past 3 seasons? what if Reaves can’t duplicate the same success? What if Russell continues to struggle from deep?
While every team who made moves will have these questions to answer, it sticks out a bit more for the Los Angeles Lakers due to the uncertainty of LeBron and AD’s future and their health moving forward. The Lakers need these players to either perform as they did the prior seaosn or to step it up a notch.
While the Lakers are still hanging their success on the shoulders of a 39-year-old and a forward made of glass, the Lakes didn’t make the big free-agent splash many were expecting them to do. Pelinka has done a great job building out this roset since the trade deadline. and yes, for me, they appear to have the deepest team in the NBA but will that account for more wins or will they resemble the team who limped their way into the playoffs?
It’s too early to crown someone as Champs in the offseason but by all accounts, the Los Angeles Lakers have done a great job of retaining their own talent while adding pieces that should fit well. However, the downside is, they’re still banking on players to work well with their current stars, and the issue there is that ther two stars can’t seem to stay on the floor. There are a lot of “what ifs” on this roster, let’s just hope those “what ifs”, turn into positive contributions.
