NBA
Grading The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2019 Offseason
Only a few teams have been just as busy as the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.
After a coaching change, a blockbuster trade and the addition of many players through free agency, the Lakers will look completely different than what they had earlier in April.
In LeBron James’ first year as a Laker, it didn’t go exactly as planned. The team missed the playoffs after going 37-45 as a result of major injuries to the team.
Going from 37 wins to a contender is no easy task, however, the Lakers made various moves this offseason to compete for a championship.
Hiring of Frank Vogel
After parting ways with Luke Walton towards the end of last season, the Lakers decided to hire Frank Vogel.
Vogel wasn’t necessarily what people had in mind for the Lakers’ next head coach. But that doesn’t change the fact that Vogel is an exceptional coach.
Vogel led the Pacers to back-to-back Eastern Conference Championships in 2013 and 2014 as they were true contenders in both years. With the Lakers being ranked 12th defensively, Vogel helps tremendously with his defensive mindset.
Hiring of Jason Kidd, Lionel Hollins, and Phil Handy
The coaching staff for the Lakers is extremely deep. With the hiring of Jason Kidd, Lionel Hollins, and Phil Handy, the Lakers have an experienced coaching staff.
Many people won’t bring it up, however, with good coaching on a stacked roster, it could really take you far in this league.
Trading for Anthony Davis
The Lakers were finally able to acquire Anthony Davis via trade after months of attempts. James’ quest to bringing a second superstar in is now complete.
Although the Lakers did give up a steep price which included giving up Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart, it was worth it. When you have the chance to acquire a player like Davis, you have to pull the trigger.
In New Orleans, Davis was able to become an MVP-candidate as he averaged 25.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists over 56 games last season.
The pairing of James and Davis will easily be one of the best, if not the best, duo in the league. Have fun defending the pick-and-roll with these two.
Free Agency
With James, Davis, and Kyle Kuzma on the roster, it was time for the Lakers to fill out the rest of their roster.
Although they weren’t able to get their hands on superstar Kawhi Leonard, they were able to fill out their roster with good quality role players as they had over $30 million in cap space.
Signing Danny Green to a 2-yr/$30 million deal adds perimeter defense and an elite three-point shooter. Last season, Green narrowly missed a spot on the All-Defensive Team.
After signing Green, the Lakers welcomed back JaVale McGee and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. It didn’t take long to re-sign guard Rajon Rondo also.
One of the best moves by far is signing DeMarcus Cousins on a one-year deal. Cousins has a lot to prove as he does have potential to make a comeback. Based on the contract, this was a low-risk high reward situation. If Cousins can be 50% of what he used to be, watch out.
The Lakers also managed to sign Avery Bradley. After having multiple injuries, Bradley is looking forward to having a bounce back year. Last season, he averaged 16.6 points while shooting 38.4% from behind the arc.
Being able to sign players like Jared Dudley, Troy Daniels, Alex Caruso, and Quinn Cook were also great moves. They provide three-point shooting and a good locker room presence.
Summary
In a duo-driven league, the Lakers have two of the league’s best players in James and Davis.
With a deep coaching staff and a stacked roster, expect this team to be in title contention for years to come.
This Laker squad has championship DNA on their roster and it’s just a matter of time until we actually see it. This isn’t a team that will sacrifice everything for the best regular season record. They care for the playoffs. Have fun beating this team in a seven-game series.
Grade: A-
Written by Shreyas Kar
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