Markieff Morris and Dion Waiters had little-to-no time to adjust to the Los Angeles Lakers.
As the resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season is getting closer and increasingly real, the Los Angeles Lakers face some questions ahead of entering the Orlando Bubble.
It is still unclear whether Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley will join the team for the final part of the season, although Howard is expected to play. They have until June 24th to let the team and the league know what their intentions are.
Furthermore, we do not know if the post-deadline acquisitions Markieff Morris and Dion Waiters will be able to make their part in the team’s run.
Morris, who was coming from averaging 11 points on 39.7 percent from three in Detroit, had just played eight games in purple and gold before the season was abruptly stopped, averaging 4.8 points on a meager 28.6 percent from three.
It looks like it would take some time to adjust to the new team for Markieff, but that time was taken away from him by the coronavirus pandemic. Eight more games before the playoffs start seem few to find a new groove with the team after four months away from the practice facility and team scrimmages.
Dion Waiters has not even ever suited up for the Lakers. He signed his contract just five days before the NBA went on hiatus. Waiters’ struggles to maintain his shape on extended frames without playing are well documented and his last issues with the Miami Heat organization do not go in his favor. When locked in, he can become an explosive scorer and also a good defender, if committed.
If Bradley opts to sit out the rest of the season, Dion might turn out to be a key addition, but huge question marks remain about his physical and mental preparation after such a long hiatus and the requirement of a commitment that rarely has been seen from him.
Four months ago, Morris and Waiters looked like the final pieces that would have helped the Los Angeles Lakers finally reach the NBA Finals. A third of the season was in front of them to find their spot on the team.
Now, things are drastically different and with the whole NBA away from the game for a long time, not even knowing if the starters can catch up where they left, it looks really hard for the more recent comers to fulfill their originally expected roles.