WHAT WAS THE WORST MOVE THE LAKERS MADE THIS OFF-SEASON?
Apr 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers small forward Earl Clark (6) passes the ball against the San Antonio Spurs in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Lopez – Does not re-signing Dwight Howard count? Because that is the most obvious answer. Aside from that, signing Elias Harris to a two-year deal surprised me. Harris has no track record of success in the NBA, so anything above a one year minimum contract is surprising.
Rude – I’ll avoid the obvious answer of missing out on Howard and go in a different route. Earl Clark was someone considered a throw-in to the Howard trade for salary cap reasons. Instead, amidst a host of injuries, Clark stepped up and showed out, becoming a key contributor to the squad. Given his versatility, his age, and his skill set, he seemed like a match made in heaven for Mike D’Antoni and the Lakers. Instead, he simply walked away without much of a fight by the Lakers. Poor effort, Lakers.
Cottrell – Aside from losing Earl Clark and Dwight Howard? I wasn’t a fan of the Chris Kaman signing. If Kaman starts at center, that means Pau Gasol is going to have to go back to playing the power forward position, which didn’t work out too well last season. Here’s a stat for you: When Kaman was off the court last season, his team had a better Offensive Rating by 5.2 points (according to Basketball-Reference). That’s not encouraging.
Booth – I’m going to miss Earl Clark. He definitely came into his own last season, becoming a force inside, as well has developing an outside shot. Of course, any time a free agent to be sees a rise in stats as Clark did, it demands a larger, more lucrative role the following season, something the Lakers were both unable, and unwilling to give him, as they won’t do anything to jeopardize their summer of ’14. Happy to see Clark had a nice contract and substantial role with the Cavs, but still, sad to see him leave the purple & gold.
Gilbert – I absolutely despise the signing of Nick Young. Inviting him to the team will lead to almost nothing positive. As I ranted on Lake Show Life almost two months ago, Young is an absolute black hole on offense. Despite being a guard, he has recorded assists in his career at a lower rate than the DEFENSIVE-MINDED CENTERS that are Kendrick Perkins and Roy Hibbert. His chemistry with Kobe Bryant will be laughably absent and his inability to play off-ball defense will just complicate one of the biggest flaws the team had last season. So basically, I don’t want Nick Young in the same state as the Lakers, let alone on their team for the next two seasons.
Garcia – As mentioned earlier I have a strong opinion of the draft. Drafting Ryan Kelly to get a 6’10” player with 3pt. range, and then signing Elias Harris after showing well from the Las Vegas Pro League doesn’t make sense to me. A big key to D’Antoni’s idea of a pressing defense is to have quickness, length, and ability to switch positions 1-4 to defend pick and rolls well. That isn’t Ryan Kelly’s best strength.