1. The Lakers defense stinks!
By no fault of JaVale McGee (I MEAN NONE!), the Lakers defense is bad. When he sits down for stretches, it’s a potential layup line for opponents.
Ivica Zubac at times looks like he should be in the G League. Any skilled big man in the NBA pretty much destroys Zubac on the low blocks. Moritz Wagner‘s year may be a wash because injuries set back his conditioning. Right now he is too far behind to be any help outside of spot duty here and there during the season.
How bad have things gotten at the five spot? After cutting Johnathan Williams after the last game of the preseason, the Lakers brought him back on a two-way contract. The issue with that is the Lakers can have him on the roster for only 45 days.
If anything, this signing should help out JaVale McGee. He is playing out of his mind starting this season. He’s playing well enough that LeBron James mentioned that he should be an early candidate for NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. He’s been active blocking shots and rolling to the rim.
Here’s one of my quotes about McGee’s play for the Lakers this season…Lakers fans you might need to enjoy watching JaVale now because if the front office does not find some coins in the couch to pay this guy, he will be gone! Trust me…
"No, he will not be traded. He is going to sign a two or three-year deal starting at about five million dollars a year because he will have some suitors if he keeps this up. The Lakers may want to figure out a way to extend this guy as soon as possible. Forget LeBron James, if this guy gets hurt or in foul trouble, the Lakers defense will collapse. Out of all the Lakers on the roster, JaVale McGee has accepted his role and done so with purpose."
As good as JaVale McGee has played this season, one has to wonder how long he can keep this up physically. The Lakers have not done this man any favors, helping out by staying attached to their own man and playing disciplined defense.
Remember, this is a guy that has not averaged more than 15 minutes a game for a season in years. At the rate, JaVale is going, his body is going to wear out sooner or later.