The 21-22 NBA regular season is already halfway through, if you choose which team is the most frustrated, the Lakers say that they are second, I am afraid that no one dares to say that they are the first. After winning the championship in the 19-20 season, the Purple and Gold Legion seemed to be in a state of confusion. Curiously, the Lakers didn't seem to feel that the success of the 19-20 season was worth the team's persistence, but continued to try to change their tactical play. Last season, the Lakers stopped a round of the playoffs due to injury, and this season they seem to have even a playoff spot in danger. Westbrook, who depleted the team's assets in exchange, obviously did not meet the standards of stardom, and his contract of 44 million annual salary became a complete burden on the team. After unsuccessful attempts to send Westbrook away, the Lakers shifted their focus to changing the team's construction and tactics. Earlier today, Jake Fischer, a well-known reporter for the Los Angeles Times, revealed the Lakers' recent trade moves: Howard, Jordan Jr. and Bazemore have all been put on the shelves by the Lakers, and the team is willing to discuss any offer for the three players.
The 36-year-old Howard has returned to the Lakers this season, but his form has not met the Lakers' expectations. Although some rim-guarding tasks can still be completed on the defensive end, and the offensive end is also the Lakers' most stable "pie" center, Howard's slow pace is obviously not enough to have more playing time in today's fast-paced offensive and defensive leagues. Jordan Jr.'s degradation is more pronounced, with a serious decline in physical function that dropped out of the Lakers rotation early in the season. Even at the lakers' most scarce stage, Vogel still did not use the 33-year-old center. And Bazemore's willingness to be abandoned by the Lakers is mainly that he is no longer a tightly needed role player in the team, and the rise of Rivers and Stanley Johnson makes the Lakers no longer need a base salary wing. In addition to this, the Lakers also need more lineup vacancies to prepare for the upcoming buyout market and trading market.
Howard and Jordan Jr. are the only two interior players in the Lakers lineup, and putting the two on the shelves at the same time also means the Lakers have decided to use the small lineup for the rest of the season. After Anthony Davis' injury, James played at MVP-level performances in the fifth position. His speed of shooting and cutting into the basket after blocking is obviously much better than the traditional interior line of Howard and Jordan Jr., and in the small-ball era, James's core strength and weight are even better than many centers. Vogel revealed to reporters in the interview that Anthony Davis will continue to serve as the fifth position of the team after his comeback, and the Lakers will use James as the fifth position of the second team after he leaves the game, and players such as Ariza, Anthony and Stanley Johnson will assist James in guarding the basket. In such a situation, Howard and Jordan Jr. will no longer be a must for the team.
Based on recent media reports, the Lakers have no hope of sending Westbrook away. In such a situation, they also had to adjust the squad list this season as much as possible to match the big three's play. Finding a way to sign the flanks with shooting ability to open up the offensive space is the only way to save Wei Shao, who has no shooting ability at this stage. Since entering 2022, Westbrook has not been able to hit a single three-pointer, averaging just over 20 percent per game and averaging only seven points per game. Previously we used to talk about how the point core guard was compatible with James, but now the topic has become how the more extreme non-shooting ball control core is compatible with James. Perhaps for the Lakers, trying to keep the lineup healthy for the rest of the season, trading future assets and looking to the offseason is the most favorable plan for the team at this stage.