The Lakers, with the "360 combo" and a long-established veteran, have not been able to play a dominant regular season record, and the current record of 9th in the West with a record of 27 wins and 31 losses has fallen out of the playoffs. Not only that, but the team also damaged the core of the interior Davis in this game against the Jazz; according to the earlier Lakers official announcement, Davis suffered a mid-foot sprain and is expected to be re-evaluated in four weeks. As a result, in the next month, the Lakers can only rely on the veterans in the lineup to impact the playoffs.
As long as there is a healthy James, we still believe that this team can play in the playoffs as always, but Zhan Huang is also a common man no matter how brave he is, and he is still unable to withstand the ruthless destruction of the years after all. If the Lakers want to enter the playoffs, they still have to have players other than Zhan Huang stand up and dedicate their value, so that they can hope to achieve a breakthrough in the record. But we also understand that the current Lakers' lineup has been run-in for more than half a season, and there is still no way to play the strength of the champion division that integrates attack and defense.
In the face of such tepid and possible results that may not make it into the playoffs, the Lakers can only expect to make a difference in reinforcements, and it is possible to make the record more excellent. After the trading deadline arrives, it means that the door to the free market has been closed, and the Lakers can only work buying out the market. Some fans may wonder, don't the Lakers still have Howard as a center and Jordan Jr. can use it?
Howard is still able to provide a certain amount of immediate combat power, so far this season, Howard can average 14.5 minutes per game, can get 5.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks, shooting 61.4% from the field and 66.7% from three-point range.
Fans familiar with James are also well aware that his career success is inseparable from the inside line with three-point shooting ability to maximize the energy of his offense. Although Howard also has the ability to shoot a three-point shot, he can only add to the icing on the cake in the end, and cannot provide a sustained three-point production. The reason why coach Vogel ignored Howard and did not reuse it is that he also takes into account James's feelings and technical characteristics, preferring to use a small lineup to impact the playoffs.
Maybe the players in the buyout market are the signings that the Lakers should consider, so what are the alternatives? The US media "FW" lists 5 targets in the Lakers buyout market, including Dragic, Gary Harris, Schroeder, Bembry, Tristan Thompson. Dragic is aiming for the championship, Bemburi and TT have all defected to the new owners, Schroeder has no news of a buyout, and Harris does not have excellent defensive ability. In view of this, the Lakers are unlikely to get the above five players.
In addition, there are three potential players in the buyout market, including Millsap, Gion and Favors, all three players are "chicken ribs" members who may be bought out by the team. Millsap was traded by the Nets to the 76ers, but its current immediate combat power is not as good as before, and Philadelphia's interior line is already well-staffed, there is still a great possibility of being bought out; perhaps the 76ers will send the head and send warmth in vain, and let the team's less-needed Millsap go and clear the space.
Gion was also traded to the Hawks, and naturally could not compete with Collins and Capela to win more playing time, and his only value was to have a 42.7% three-point shooting rate. Although Favors is in the Thunder, this team has entered a period of reconstruction, and he is not needed to impact the playoffs for the time being.
The Lakers can wait for an opportunity, and once one of these three players is bought out, they can seize the opportunity and pocket it. Although Millsap's peak is no longer there, Gion also has the disadvantage of insufficient confrontation ability, and Favors is also a twilight veteran, but all three can help the Lakers get through this stage temporarily. In this way, it can alleviate the offensive and defensive pressure on the inside of James, and try to make the Lakers play in the playoffs and wait for Davis's healthy return.