2. The addition of Markieff Morris
After the Lakers disappointed many of their fans by not adding anyone prior to the trade deadline, they just signed Markieff Morris, who had been waived by the Detroit Pistons.
While Morris may not be an elite defender, he does have the size at 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds to bother elite wings like Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum. A forward who had the size to guard tall, elite wings was arguably the Lakers’ biggest roster weaknesses, and Morris can help plug that hole.
At the very least, his size can prevent those guys from easily getting to their sweet spots. Plus, Morris is a fierce player, which could also address another weakness: the Lakers’ supposed “softness.”
He can also help on the offensive end. He’s an efficient player inside the paint, and he’s shooting a career-best 39.7 percent from 3-point range on 4.3 attempts per game this season.