On January 3, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Timberwolves, winning 3 of the last 4 games, and finally got back to their rightful form. However, Wei Shao's state does not seem to have recovered, but is on the way to no return. Against the Timberwolves, he contributed 4 turnovers in 6 minutes, 9 turnovers and 5 fouls. The three-pointer is also 0-of-5, and such a few Westbrooks not only can't help the team, but also a drag on the Lakers.
Almost halfway through the season, today's "miserable situation" can prove that Pelinka was a wrong choice when he traded Wei Shao. Not only did it not reduce the burden on James, but it also made the team lose kuzma, Pop, Harrell, Caruso and other quality players. Next, the Lakers must take action, otherwise they will not win the championship at all. The Lakers won the championship in 3 steps: trade 1 core, reuse 2 young players, abandon 3 main forces, and Zhan Huang's patience ran out.
Deal 1 Core
Whether Wei Shao should go or not, whether he should go or not, this problem is already a big problem that plagues the Lakers. After half a season, There is still no tacit understanding between Westbrook and James. In recent times, James has played to the extreme, but Wei Shao has become more and more depressed. Some time ago, during James' absence due to injury, Westbrook played well. Therefore, between the two major ball carriers, it is still impossible to find a tacit understanding point. But will the Lakers give up on James? Obviously not, trading the core player of Westbrook will become an inevitable thing.
Perkins is also blunt: the Lakers should trade Wei Shao, which is an urgent matter. The point is, can the Lakers send him away? With an annual salary of more than 40 million yuan and a sports point guard whose status has fallen sharply, it is difficult to find a team willing to trade. However, if the Lakers want to win the championship, they must make changes.
Reuse 2 juniors
There are good players in the gaps, and there are also good players among the new signings who are reinforced this summer. Among them, two young players are very eye-catching and worthy of the Lakers' reuse, these two are: Malik Munch, 23, and Reeves, 23.
According to the statistics of the NBA Data Network, after the absence of thick eyebrows, Munch filled in part of the firepower of the offensive end. In the last five games, Munch has averaged 20 points per game, shooting 57.4% from the field, 42.4% from three-point range, 100% from the free throws, and +66 plus-minus during the period, ranking first on the team.
Young Reeves, known as "Caruso Jr." by fans, averaged 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 20 minutes per game, shooting 50 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line. As a white guard, Reeves played quite the Lakers. So, the Lakers should reuse these 2 players!
Abandon 3 main force
In addition to Wei Shao's poor performance, the Lakers also have 3 main players, who have not integrated into the team and have not played their due role. The three players are: Jordan Jr., Bazemore and Horton Tucker.
Abandoned by the Nets, Jordan Jr. came to the Lakers, thinking that spring had arrived. However, the old problem of only focusing for 10 minutes still can't be changed, and Vogel should completely abandon Jordan Jr. and give Howard a little more time. At the beginning of the season, Jordan Jr. was the team's unstoppable starting center, and now it is indeed time to give up.
Bazemore, as a pitcher, has been completely lost this season, and what was originally the team's starting striker is now basically DNP. Truth be told, the Lakers should trade him off in exchange for other, more useful players. Horton Tucker's slump is elusive, the season was fierce at the beginning of the season, and now it is not getting in. Averaging 28 minutes per game, he contributed only 10 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists, shooting 37.9% from the field and 21.4% from three-point range. The Lakers should pack up these 3 players and trade them, perhaps in exchange for a good championship puzzle.
Emperor Zhan's patience ran out
This season is a crucial time node for James. In the previous interview, James made it clear that his patience was limited and that he needed to make some changes. We don't know exactly what changed, but when Zhan Huang's patience runs out, the Lakers will face a big shuffle. Recently, there have been news that James has returned to the Cavaliers and ended his career. This is a red flag for Lakers management, and a big change is needed before this year's trading deadline.