At this year’s trade deadline, the LA Lakers landed their superstar for the future after trading for Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. As Rob Pelinka enters his first offseason with a new star duo to build around, one analyst cited a key area of need for the supporting cast.
In return for Doncic, the Lakers parted ways with All-Star big man Anthony Davis. This left them extremely thin in the frontcourt, as JJ Redick had minimal options at center aside from Jaxson Hayes. Due to the roster’s makeup, LA had to resort to playing a lot of small ball. Their lack of size came back to haunt them in the postseason, eventually being eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in round one.
During Friday’s installment of “Get Up” on ESPN, Alan Hahn gave his thoughts on the Lakers heading into the offseason. He feels the duo of Doncic and LeBron James can compete for a championship as long as LA has a competent option at center.
“They can get a championship,” Hahn said. “But it’s not if Luka becomes a fitness model like everyone is so obsessed with. They can get a championship if they get a center, they need a big man. It’s as simple as that.”
Solidifying the center position is crucial for the Lakers for a variety of reasons. For starters, they need someone capable of holding down the back line on defense. Also, the Lakers are leaving easy points on the board by not having a reliable big man to pair with Doncic.
Along with being an elite scorer, Doncic is also a high-level facilitator. Because of this, LA needs to find a center capable of operating in the pick-and-roll with him. Preferably one that can be a lob threat similar to what he had on the Mavericks. If paired with an athletic big, Doncic will always have a go-to when they need a basket.
With the core intact now, Pelinka is sure to be aggressive in filling out a complementary supporting cast that Doncic and LeBron can contend with in the Western Conference.
