Los Angeles Lakers: Marcin Gortat is a safer option than Dwight Howard

As the Los Angeles Lakers search for a center, they should consider Marcin Gortat over Dwight Howard.

Ever since DeMarcus Cousins went down with a torn ACL injury the Los Angeles Lakers have planned to work out some centers. Centers like Joakim Noah, Dwight Howard, and Marcin Gortat are available. There are also bigs like Kenneth Faried and Marreese Speights on the market.

The five players above all provide different qualities than one another for the most part. Noah is a veteran with a high IQ who can pass, defend, and rebound well. He brings instant energy despite being 34-years-old. The problem with Noah is he is injury-prone.

Faried is like Noah in the sense that he brings a lot of energy. He is also the youngest of the five players at 29-years-old. The issue is that Faried isn’t a rim protector, and he is not a really a center at 6’8″.

Speights is a guy who had success with the Warriors as their backup big. He is a good mid-range shooter who plays hard. Like Faried, he isn’t a rim protector despite being 6’10”.

Dwight Howard is the name we’ve heard the most linked to the Lakers as the Grizzlies will likely buy him out. The name that just popped up as being linked with the Lakers is Marcin Gortat.

Gortat is a better option than Dwight Howard for the Lakers for a number of reasons. He is not the better player, he just makes more sense and is a better fit.

No one can deny Howard’s success as a player and a potential Hall of Famer. He is an 8-time All-Star, 3-time Defensive Player of the Year and a 9-time All-NBA selection. The difference is that Howard is no longer that player at 33-years-old. He is far removed from his prime. That’s not to say he can’t produce anymore. In his last full season (2017-18) with the Hornets he averaged 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks.

Last season he missed 73 games with a back injury. Not only did he have a back injury he also had problems with his hamstring.

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He is too injury prone and too much of a potential distraction to take a chance with at this stage. There have been rumors over the years that he has been a problem in locker rooms.

Another thing to consider is that he has been used to starting his entire career. He has started all but one game in his entire 1,035 game career. If he comes to the Lakers, it’s almost a given that he would be a backup. He isn’t a guy who appears to want to play less than half a contest.

This is why Marcin Gorat can be the answer. He is a veteran who appears to be well-liked and is ready when his number is called. He isn’t the caliber of player that Howard is, but he is no slouch.

Like Howard, Gortat’s good years are behind him. He is a 35-year-old center who can go out there for 15-20 minutes and get the job done. Signing him will be a similar signing to that of Tyson Chandler. Like Chandler he can protect the rim, but he’s a bit better offensively.

In his prime he was good for 12-13 points and has a decent enough post game to keep the defense honest. Last season with the Clippers he averaged 5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 16 minutes.

He is more durable than Howard at this stage and that’s what the Lakers need. He has played at least 75 games in five straight seasons before being waived by the Clippers after the All-Star break this past season.

If the Lakers keep him on the bench some nights it won’t be a problem like it could potentially be with Howard.

The Lakers should look into signing Gortat. As much positives as Howard can bring on the floor, playing in LA might not be the best thing. Everyone remembers what happened the first time he played here.