Los Angeles Lakers: Shift in focus logical because of their recent improvement
All year long the Los Angeles Lakers’ brass appeared to have an all-in approach when it came to 2018’s free agent class. However, their sudden change of plans makes sense due to how the team is playing.
Throughout the 2017-2018 campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office have had their eyes set on one thing. President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka have not been silent about it, either.
That aforesaid thing has been this coming summer’s loaded free agent class. The Lakers have consistently been linked to big names such as LeBron James, Paul George, and DeMarcus Cousins.
Having said that, one of the most talked about ideas this year has been their unwavering desire to free up cap space to make it easier to sign such marquee talent. In doing so, it would theoretically put the team in stronger position to contend for a championship.
However, early on Tuesday, that posture unexpectedly changed. Granted the NBA trade deadline is this Thursday, the Lakers’ initial plans may be on hold.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Ramona Shelburne, and Bobby Marks, the storied franchise is “recalibrating their focus.” The trio reported that their new focus is on 2019. While L.A. is not completely giving up on 2018, they are interested in next year’s FA class that includes players like Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson.
If the rumors are true, that is quite an adjustment in attention for the purple and gold. Practically everything pointed to them being sellers this year.
Despite that being the case, their reversal of “focus” may not be the worst imaginable scenario. The same ESPN report asserts that George’s likelihood of re-signing with the Thunder is increasing day by day. Moreover, Cousins currently is nursing a torn Achilles, while James may not wish to join a team without a bona fide star intact. In the latter case, too, it is important to consider that James has a natural penchant for being on loaded rosters.
Per Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek, shifting the gears to 2019 carries another benefit as well.
"“A focus on the 2019 class would take away the pressure to move some of the team’s contracts either before Thursday’s trade deadline or the June 21 NBA draft.”"
Polacek raises a good point in his analysis. Even though the expectations headed into this summer were sky high, Johnson and Pelinka are currently establishing a more realistic game plan.
There is no guarantee the Lakers will hit home runs in their free agency pitches this summer, either. Granted their front office will surely do their best when the time comes, the past suggests that nothing is ever guaranteed, indeed. This leads Chris Barnewall of CBS Sports to believe that this is a “smart approach” by Los Angeles.
Drew Garrison of SB Nation claims that the Lakers’ change of heart may be due to another reason, though.
"“Or, this could all be a leverage play by LA after what appeared to be massive transparency about their need to shed salary and shuffle assets for their 2018 free agency run. It’s hard to trade players when the 29 other teams in the league have that leverage in mind.”"
Whether Garrison’s theory carries any weight to it is unknown. Since the trade deadline and free agency period are in the future, what the Lakers’ brass is thinking is difficult to get a grip on. Nonetheless, because the team has been bold enough to be open about their hopes, maybe Garrison is onto something.
Arguably the central reason the Lakers are exercising caution is due the improved play in recent memory. Prior to Tuesday night’s contest, Los Angeles earned wins in 10 of their last 14 chances.
Therefore, if L.A. keeps this current core together, it could allow them to progress even more. On the other hand, breaking it up to some degree could spur a decline in team chemistry. The old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is too crucial to ignore given how they are performing.
If the team were to, say, dump someone like Julius Randle, there is already a risk they would not get equal value in return. Randle is playing some of the best basketball of his career. His limited minutes at times makes it tougher to gauge his actual worth, so trading him would be a gamble in that aspect.
Albeit the team is still without rookie Lonzo Ball, their recent 5-game road trip shows that the squad is gelling. Their emergence has not gone unnoticed by some of their key assets.
One of those assets has been the tough-minded Randle. Per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, Randle thinks games like Sunday’s win over OKC are evocative of improvement.
"“Just resilient,” Randle said. “It’s a great win for us. We are growing up as a group.”"
Randle’s assertion is right on cue. During two earlier matchups against them this year, L.A. did not fare well whatsoever. Accordingly, it is fair to say that the Lakers are beginning to learn from past goofs. Certainly, “growing up” is happening (even if it is at a slower pace than desired).
Without a doubt, lots of growth still needs to occur. The purple and gold are far from a polished product. There are bound to be times as the year progresses when their youth’s inexperience magnifies itself.
However, it is not like L.A.’s recent success has arisen out of luck. On Monday, Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times shed further light on their recent run.
"“Two statistics that help paint the picture, though, are related to toughness and tenacity. The Lakers’ defensive rating has ranked in the top five over their past 14 games, giving up 102.8 points per 100 possessions. Their rebounding has ranked second at 46.6 a game, as has their defensive rebounding with 36 a game.”"
Signs like these are very encouraging. In past seasons, the team defense has especially been appallingly atrocious.
This led to a change in focus before the year even started. Coach Luke Walton constantly emphasized “D” during the preseason. By virtue of doing so, it presently seems like his words have been listened to.
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Thus, it is becoming clearer that the future of the franchise may be bright. It is worth noting that it is still going to take time for the Lakers to really transform themselves back into relevance. Wins like Sunday’s, though, nullify the idea that the team is incompetent. They can get the job done when everyone is contributing and when they do not give in.
Even if the standings are not the best indicator, this Lakers bunch is a tough out. They are a fun, exciting group to tune into, notably when they are playing to their potential.
They have proven themselves to be unforgiving on defense. Furthermore, when they get the ball on the break, few teams have managed to stop them from being successful.
As a result, it explains why the Lakers are electing to be patient. Sure, being patient is never enjoyable. Despite the veracity of that statement, not putting all of their eggs into one basket may end up being wise down the road.
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The Lakers have gone into panic mode before. Look where that got them. So, on account of their recent success, waiting things out may not be so implausible.