NFL
By Christopher Jordan
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make a playoff push with the new additions they added for the NBA trade deadline.
It felt like all the talk was going to be about LeBron James breaking the all-time scoring record on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
LeBron James is playing at a high level at 38 years old. The Lakers knew they needed to make it before the trade deadline ended.
With the Western Conference being up for grabs the Lakers knew they needed to make a move to have a better chance of competing for a championship.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka made a blockbuster trade flipping Russell Westbrook and the 2027 first-round draft pick for three players in D’ Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt.
The Los Angeles Lakers also traded Patrick Beverly to the Orlando Magic for Mo Bamba while shipping Thomas Bryant to Denver.
With the new additions, the Lakers went younger and added more perimeter shooting. The Lakers also got a little better defensively because Mo Bamba is a 7-footer that can block shots and make shots from beyond the arc. Bamba is shooting 39.8 percent from three-point range.
Mo Bamba will get a lot of easy shots at the rim playing with LeBron James. James has a history of playing with athletic centers such as Triston Thompson, Kevin Love, Chris Bosh, Anthony Davis, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Mo Bamba will have a big impact on the Lakers on both ends of the floor playing with someone like LeBron James.
Russell Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz. Throughout the season, Westbrook had been coming off the bench and playing a good role for the Lakers. Westbrook was traded because he wasn’t a natural fit playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Westbrook is not known as a shooter, and Westbrook’s playing style didn’t make the Lakers a serious contender in the Western Conference.
D’Angelo Russell is a better shooter from beyond the arc, and Russell can play off the ball better than Westbrook. Russell is shooting 39 percent from the three-point line this season.
Playing with LeBron James D’Angelo Russell is a better natural fit because, throughout LeBron’s career, his best success was playing with players that can make shots from the three-point line.
Throughout the season, Westbrook played well, but his inability to make shots from the three and his decision-making at times drove the Lakers over the edge. Westbrook is top four in turnovers this season, and Westbrook, was second in turnovers last season.
In two seasons, Westbrook has turned the ball over 479 times and counting. The Lakers needed a better decision-maker at the point guard position outside of LeBron James.
The Los Angeles Lakers added more depth and flexibility on both sides of the ball, and now the Lakers have a realistic chance to make some noise moving forward. With all the new additions the Lakers added during the trade deadline.
The Lakers will still go as far as Anthony Davis takes them because when healthy the Lakers look like a legit title contender that can get into the playoffs and make a deep playoff run.
Earlier this season, Anthony went on a stretch when he was playing like a top 5 player in the NBA. If the Lakers get Davis playing like a top player moving forward. With how LeBron has played this season, the Lakers can be one of the most dominant teams because when James & AD are healthy they are a top 3 duo in the NBA.
In the next few months, the Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to do something special because James has a chance to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the playoffs and hopefully on a deep playoff run as a 38-year-old in year 20.
With everything LeBron James has already done in his remarkable career in the NBA. If he can manage to lead this Los Angeles Lakers team to a deep playoff run and possibly a championship as the best player as a 38-year-old will be a historic accomplishment.
With LeBron James being in the conversation as the greatest player of all-time another championship will elevate James even more.
