In the year-end game, the Lakers lost to the Nets, and at one point they were more than 20 points behind, and although they tied the score in the last quarter, they still couldn't win. The game that defeated the Lakers at a critical moment was nets veteran Patti Mills! He played 35 minutes, shooting 11 of 17 from the field, 8 of 13 from three-point range, 4 of 4 from the free throw line, and got 34 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal, plus or minus of +19, the highest in the game!
In this game, when the Lakers chased points, it was Mills who hit the big heart of the three-pointer, which extinguished the Lakers' trend of chasing points. This kind of play is the norm this season, and he is the most stable outside pitcher in the team, saving the team from fire and water many times. It can be said that the Nets signed such a veteran, it is indeed too good value!
In the offseason, in fact, the Lakers also have the opportunity to sign Mills, and recently salary expert Bobby Marks calculated an account. This offseason, the Nets signed Mills with a mid-class exception of $12 million for two years. In terms of salary structure, the Lakers, which are also the big three, chose to sign Nunn with a middle-class exception, 10 million for 2 years. The difference between that signing is actually not large, the cost of the Nets signing Mills back is not large, and the Lakers signing Nunn is not much cheaper than Mills!
At present, these two role players have a very different state, Mills has become the most important player of the Nets, in addition to Harden and Durant, Mills is the core player of the team. Nunn has not made a debut for the team so far this season and has been recuperating from injuries. Imagine if the Lakers had signed Mills with this contract at the time, maybe the Lakers' current predicament would be much better!
Of course, Nunn has not yet played, and it is not to say that his effect is necessarily worse than Mills, but at least in terms of attendance this season, Mills is much better. In the Most Difficult Time for the Lakers, James had an extra helper by his side. Of course, these can not be forced, Mills signed the Nets is also related to Durant's recruitment, but from the current state, the Lakers should still regret that there was no more recruitment of Mills at that time!