1. Defensive Stalwarts – Tom Thibodeau, Luol Deng, and Marcus Smart
Among the many things associated with the Lakers in recent seasons, defense was not one of them, especially under D’Antoni. However, this would be a nice change for a franchise that really has never been particularly dominant on defense since Bryant has joined, nor have they employed a coach that specialized in one save for Mike Brown.
If the Lakers are able to steal Tom Thibodeau from the Bulls, it would be a big coup. Thibs is a players coach, but also a great coach. He has led the Bulls to multiple playoff appearances and has kept them afloat in spite of a streak of injuries to superstar point guard Derrick Rose. His offense utilizes Joakim Noah beautifully, which could be intriguing if the Lakers look to keep Pau Gasol.
One of Thibs “guys” in Chicago was Luol Deng. Deng is a hard-working, tireless player who was traded to Cleveland from Chicago this season, which did not sit well with Thibs. The duo could reunite in Los Angeles and bring their defensive identity with him.
In the draft, they could target the best perimeter defender prospect in Marcus Smart. Smart is a physical, smart player who could really benefit from playing with guys like Deng, Kobe Bryant, and under Thibs.