The Lakers need a quality center option and that roster deficiency is not lost on head coach JJ Redick.
Basketball is an ever-evolving sport, but some core values have remained etched in stone.
Regardless of how much the 3-point shot has changed things, it's still true that size matters. Ideally, you have 6'6 and taller players who can play all positions and usually, you'd also have a big who can protect the basket and apply pressure on the rim.
The Lakers have a dominant big in Anthony Davis, but the defense would fall off a cliff when he's off the floor. Also, even with AD on the court, there wasn't another quality center to pair with him.
The Lakers tried using Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes, but neither could consistently produce enough for the team to solidify themselves as a bonafide rotation player this upcoming season.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick shared his thoughts on the roster and the franchise's attempt at finding a center to add to it on Sirius XM NBA Radio.
“You certainly have to look at what I think is actually a very good roster, a very balanced roster. We’d love to, we tried, but we’d love to, at some point, get another five man, a big bruising five man. You look at the Western Conference right now, whether it’s Denver, Minnesota, OKC with what they added, certainly Memphis, they’re going to be back in the hunt, they added Zach Edey, certain matchups in the playoffs, you’re going to need a lot of size.”
Acknowledging a problem is the first step to solving it, but how can the Lakers find a quality big this late into free agency?
One way is they can try to execute a trade for someone like Brook Lopez. The Milwaukee Bucks big averaged 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds last season and has a history with the organization playing for the Lakers during the 2017-18 season.
They can also see if Colin Castleton can grow into a more significant role with the team. The Lakers signed Castleton to a two-way deal and if he can become a rotation player, that would be a huge boost for the franchise.
Or they can take a flyer on a player who has bounced around and needs a second chance, as they did in 2020 with Dwight Howard. That was a best-case scenario, as Dwight bought into the role and was dominant in his shift or two a game, but if they can find a fit that works, that might be the cheapest and easiest option.
They tried last year with Hayes and Wood with mixed results, so maybe they need to give another big a shot at revitalizing themselves in Los Angeles. We'll see if the Lakers can substantially address this obvious gap in their roster construction, but they know it's an issue and are still working to solve it. There has been a lot of trying this summer, but hopefully, they can land a new player who can give this team a much-needed boost at the center position.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
