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3 Players the Los Angeles Lakers should have signed over Quinn Cook

By Jonathan Kiernan

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 03: Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Washington Wizards looks on against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Capital One Arena on February 03, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 03: Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Washington Wizards looks on against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Capital One Arena on February 03, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /

Dewayne Dedmon

For those who want a more impactful on-court player than Pau Gasol for the upcoming season, I’ve got just the player for you.

Dewayne Dedmon.

Quite possibly the ideal player for this Los Angeles Lakers team.

Dedmon offers a grouping of skill sets that the purple and gold don’t currently possess.

Marc Gasol brings an ability to stretch the floor, a former defensive player of the year, and a fantastic basketball IQ to go along with great passing for a center.

Montrezl Harrell offers a small ball 5 who brings an enormous amount of tenacity, scoring, and toughness to the Lakers.

Dewayne Dedmon offers the perfect mixture of the above players in a well built 7-foot frame.

Not to mention he is an above-average shot-blocker.

With Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee no longer on the Lakers roster, the purple and gold are a bit light on rim protectors.

Protecting the rim was a strength of the Lakers last season and while they have most definitely gotten better and more well-rounded at the 5, they are still shot-blocking deficient.

Gasol has the length to disrupt shots but is no longer a great shot-blocker. Harrell is an active defender, just not a good one.

Obviously, if the Lakers are stuck, they have one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA in Anthony Davis but it is of greater benefit for the Lakers to have AD not be the sole shot-blocker on the team as it makes more sense to save him for playoff basketball.

That is where Dedmon comes in.

Having averaged 1.5BPG last season for the Atlanta Hawks, Dedmon has shown an ability to protect the rim.

Dedmon also brings remarkable foot speed for a player his size.

With a player like Dennis Schröder running the break, you will need a big man who can run the floor to get easy buckets in transition.

Dedmon has elite speed for a big man. Watching the 7-Foot California-native run the floor is a thing of beauty.

He easily outruns his opponents and is at the rim quicker than some guards!

Having Dedmon in transition would allow for the Lakers to pick up easy buckets on a nightly basis.

Dedmon truly offers the ideal mixture of what the Lakers lack at the center position going into the 2020-21 NBA season. Using him throughout the year could keep Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol healthy and full of energy for the playoffs. Plus Dedmon could also be a contributor in the playoffs also.

Dewayne Dedmon would be an ideal signing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

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