The Lakers have a competitive roster and could win another championship. But if they didn’t trade for Russell Westbrook, would this Lakers’ superteam be as formidable?
The Los Angeles Lakers is a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association. The Lakers won their 27th NBA championship in 2010. They are also known for being one of the most successful franchises in North American sports history. They were founded as the Minneapolis Lakers in 1947 and moved to Los Angeles, California in 1960. Read more in detail here: los angeles lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a slower start than many predicted. With a quarter of the season remaining, the club is 10-10 and has not been convincing to say the least. It’s no surprise that LeBron James and Anthony Davis haven’t been feeling well. Russell Westbrook, in particular, has not been a wonderful signing.
This season, Westbrook is averaging 19.9 points per game and 8.7 assists per game, which seem to be impressive stats. He does, however, average 4.9 turnovers per game and shoots fewer than 31% from three-point range. It’s clear that Westbrook has harmed the club, given how his inefficiencies have been exposed.
But what if the Lakers could go back in time and go after the targets they wanted in the first place? to be more specific Los Angeles missed out on DeMar DeRozan and Buddy Hield in trades, and they’re undoubtedly hurting themselves for allowing Alex Caruso go. Here’s how the Lakers would appear if they could go back in time and change their summer moves.
DeRozan’s Trade Package
Dennis Schroder (Sign and Trade), Kyle Kuzma (Sign and Trade), 2027 First-Round Pick for DeMar DeRozan
The Lakers were intrigued in DeMar DeRozan last season and had a chance to pursue him. They were also in trade negotiations this offseason, but were unable to complete the transaction. DeRozan was coming off a season in which he averaged 21.6 points per game and just missed the All-Star Game. DeRozan is in fourth gear this season, averaging 26.3 points per game while establishing one of the finest duos in the NBA alongside Zach LaVine.
DeRozan has the ability to generate his own shot, hit free throws, and be incredibly productive in crunch time. The shooting guard/small forward is off to a fast start with the 12-7 Chicago Bulls, and he seems to be having more fun than ever. DeRozan is a superior three-point shooter (35.6 percent) and has less turnovers than Russell Westbrook, so the Lakers would have been much better off with him.
On the break, DeRozan will be a nightmare to defend, and he is a much superior scorer than Russell Westbrook when paired with Anthony Davis. DeRozan doesn’t need to keep the ball for lengthy periods of time and thrives when he makes movements to get open. His time in San Antonio has paid off, as his all-around game has reached All-Star status this season.
Hield’s Trade Package
Buddy Hield: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell
Buddy Hield was the player most associated with the Los Angeles Lakers, apart from DeMar DeRozan. With the Sacramento Kings, the shooting guard is averaging 16.8 points per game on 39.6% three-point shooting. Even when he’s on a terrible team, Hield proves his value by averaging just 28.6 MPG. He would have gotten more playing time and thrived among other studs if he had joined the Lakers.
Buddy Hield isn’t an All-Star and won’t be for a long time, but he’s a better match for the Lakers than Russell Westbrook. The shooting guard can stretch the court better than anybody else on the team right now, and he can also defend. Los Angeles rushed to sign players like Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington, and Malik Monk to replace him, but none of them are as excellent as Hield.
It wasn’t easy to let go of Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell this summer, particularly with Russell Westbrook underperforming. Losing them for Buddy Hield, on the other hand, isn’t as bad since he’d earn a fortune playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Starting lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers’ roster would be a lot better than it is right now if they could go back in time and make the appropriate additions. LeBron James starts as point guard, with DeRozan and Hield joining him on the field. As the Lakers play small or large depending on their opponent, either Carmelo Anthony or Dwight Howard may rotate in the lineup. That’s a lot better than having Russell Westbrook dominate the ball for the most of the game while also shooting at a low percentage from three.
Although Westbrook is an all-time great player and a potential Hall of Famer, his résumé is littered with inefficiencies. Because of his lack of shooting, the point guard isn’t a strong match with LeBron and Davis, and DeRozan and Hield would have performed better. Not to add, if they elect to put DeRozan at power forward, Caruso would have been a terrific starter.
6th Man Alex Caruso
Alex Caruso is one of the top defenders in the NBA this season, averaging 7.5 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, and 2.2 steals per game. Every night, he locks up players and plays with unprecedented zeal. The guard is well aware of his limitations in terms of skill, but he is trying hard to make an impact on both ends of the court.
Caruso was a crucial part of the Lakers’ championship run in 2020. The guard didn’t have to do much other than shoot open threes, lock down defense, and battle for loose balls. In such areas, Caruso is a true force to be reckoned with. The Lakers declined to re-sign him when the Chicago Bulls offered him a $40 million deal. If the Lakers could go back in time, they would pay their greatest perimeter defensive player a comparable contract and bring back the Social Media GOAT.
Caruso is more than a meme player since he assists teams in winning games. The guard is a big reason why the Chicago Bulls are in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 12-7 record. Alex Caruso was clearly hoping for a huge paycheck, and if the Lakers give what the Bulls did, he’ll be wearing purple and gold.
Conclusion
The Lakers would undoubtedly do everything to go back in time and make up for their mistakes. Last year, DeRozan was left out of the All-Star game, while Buddy Hield is one of the league’s top knockout shooters. Neither player is selfish, and neither can rely on the support of other stars, which is something Russell Westbrook lacks. The point guard is a triple-double danger, but his primary focus is on his stats and playing style.
When he was obliged to do everything for the club in Oklahoma City, his style of play worked, but it won’t in this situation. The point guard has to be more in charge and less engaged, but his bad shooting makes that difficult since spotting up for shots is not his strong suit. The Lakers should have realized that Westbrook has yet to make a long postseason run without Kevin Durant by his side.
Buddy Hield is putting up excellent statistics as a reserve player on a terrible club, while DeRozan is a flat-out superstar who is anxious to prove something. Meanwhile, Caruso is one of the finest defenders in the NBA, and the Lakers might have addressed all of their difficulties by concentrating on a number of guys rather than a single Hall of Famer.
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