LOS ANGELES — Rob Pelinka has decided to go down with his ship.
The NBA’s Feb. 8 trade deadline has come and gone and with it, the Lakers roster remains the same t. While other teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers made notable trades, the Lakers kept things as is. They made the right decision.
Notable names were floating around as potential options: guard Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls guard and beloved former Laker Alex Caruso and Washington Wizards guard Tyus Jones. In return, fans and media speculated that D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves might be on their way out of town.
The Lakers did eventually acquire Spencer Dinwiddie after the Toronto Raptors waived the guard, but compared to what was tossed around the rumor mill, this was a minor move..
At 28-26, the Lakers sit in ninth in the Western Conference, currently positioned to compete in the play-in tournament that begins on April 16. Unfortunately for them, The Lakers have 13 away games left on their schedule and have unquestionably struggled on the road, as they have a 10-17 record away from home.
With all this in mind, it’s in the organization’s best interest to be realistic about the rest of the season.
Even if they pass the eighth-ranked Dallas Mavericks and the seventh-place Sacramento Kings, they’re still a play-in team, not an outright playoff qualifier. Whoever the Lakers could have brought to the team, it likely wouldn’t have had a drastic impact on their title aspirations.
Dejounte Murray would be the best hope to spark change, as Murray has had a solid statistical year for the Hawks, averaging 21.7 points per game. Scoring isn’t an area where Lakers need help, though. The Lakers have the seventh-highest field goal percentage in the league at 49.2% and have a points per game average of 116.5, the 14th highest in the league.
While the Lakers three-point percentage isn’t the greatest, they’re still ranked 16th overall in the league, far from the worst. Some in favor of a Lakers trade pointed to the need for a stronger three-point shooter on the team. But Reaves has a solid three-point percentage of 35% this year and Russell sinks 41% of his distance shots. Sure, Caruso, Jones and Murray all have a higher percentage than Reaves, but only Jones has a higher percentage than Russell with 42%. Besides, Reaves’ defense and ball-handling are even more important qualities to this team than his still-reliable shot. And Russell attempts almost double the three-point shots that Jones does.
While some say Lakers’ defense is weak, their team and individual efforts point elsewhere.. As a team, the Lakers are in the top ten teams for steals and blocks per game. Center Anthony Davis has the fifth most blocks in the league this season and the fourth most rebounds as well. Caruso, Murray and Jones don’t appear in the top 20 of either category, however, Murray is ranked 14th and Caruso is tied at 16th in most overall steals for the season. Who is Caruso tied for 16th with? Lakers guard Lebron James.
If one assumes that the Lakers were not serious title contenders, there simply was not an immediate need for the Lakers to make a splashy trade. Their season will most likely end in the play-in or a first round series.
Marissa’s Take:
As a Lakers and Lebron James fan, it’s almost impossible to bring myself to say that a championship is 100% out of the picture. But I also have to live in reality. The best result for this team is a play-in tournament and a lucky playoff run. Any player that could have changed that fate is either named Lebron James or would have cost too much (money and player-wise) to acquire.
I don’t think it would be worth breaking up the current group’s established chemistry. Next year, when the season is fresh, will be the time to introduce new players into the purple and gold system.
If we really want to look far ahead, James hasn’t withheld his desire to play with his son Bronny James, a current freshman guard at USC. Lebron James has the potential to be a free agent next summer, while Davis is locked in through 2028.
Most likely, wherever Bronny ends up in the NBA, his father will follow. Even if Lebron exits, they can still build a core around Davis With LeBron gone, it would only be fitting for Davis — also a key part of the team’s 2020 title — to take the central role.
At the deadline, Pelinka accepted the reality of a post-LeBron future and chose to stay the current course. They don’t need to win right now; James and Davis already gave them a championship. For now, they can enjoy the extra revenue and hype that the LeBron and Davis combination currently provides.