5 defensive wings the Los Angeles Lakers should acquire
5. Andre Roberson
Andre Roberson is the riskiest option on this list, having not logged major minutes since the 2017-18 season. However, he’s currently a free agent and is still only 29 years of age.
The last time Roberson was playing big minutes, he was arguably the best wing defender in the NBA. Knowing that Roberson could be relied upon to guard the best perimeter players in the league, the Thunder started him despite his significant offensive limitations.
In 2017-18, Roberson led the league in adjusted turnover rate, was in the 98th percentile for deflection rate, and graded at or better than the 86th percentile for 6 other categories. He was in the 97th percentile for Defensive LEBRON and the 99th percentile for Defensive PIPM, numbers that if he didn’t get hurt during the season, would’ve put him in DPOY contention.
Roberson does not come without his warts. Offensively, he’s by far the worst player on this list, and with a career free-throw percentage of 46.8%, “hack-a-Dre” is a viable playoff strategy, one that could make contenders hesitant to sign him as anything other than depth.
To improve on his terrible shooting, in 2018 while recovering from injury, Roberson hired renowned shooting coach Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews. However, there’s no word on whether this relationship has continued, nor is there any evidence on social media of whether he’s been working out and preparing for a call-up.
If he were to impress Laker staffers in private workouts and prove that he wouldn’t be prone to hack-a-Dre antics, Roberson could be a shrewd signing that makes the league’s best defense even deadlier.
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Which defensive wing-depth options would you like to see the Los Angeles Lakers sign? Leave your suggestions in the comments section below.