2. Jared Dudley
This free agent signing has flown under the radar, but it could prove to be an important one, especially come playoff time.
Dudley has always been a strong 3-point shooter, as he boasts a lifetime accuracy of 39.2 percent from downtown. That average has dipped a bit the last year or two, but maybe playing with James and Davis will help bump it up to where it used to be for years.
But Dudley’s most important attribute will be his ability to get under the skin of opponents. In my opinion, every NBA team needs an enforcer of sorts. Think Draymond Green in Golden State, or Ron Artest, Rick Fox and Kurt Rambis on past Laker championship teams.
Dudley may not be an elite defender, but he’ll give it everything he has when he’s out there and try to annoy the hell out of the other team. At 6-foot-7 and 237 pounds, he has the size to match up with the league’s elite forwards.
Look at how he got on the nerves of Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons in this spring’s NBA playoffs:
On a team of finesse, skill-oriented players who will likely prefer an uptempo game to a halfcourt grindfest, Dudley can help the Lakers hold their own when things slow down and get testy.
His former teammates have also sung his praises as a positive influence and leader in the locker room, which will greatly help the purple and gold as well.