The Los Angeles Lakers’ stars do not get overworked with adding Hassan Whiteside
While it has been mentioned in the previous slide that Anthony Davis will get rest in terms of not having to grab rebounds and block shots all the time and it leading to him being more rested. This always means the same thing for LeBron James.
The addition of Hassan Whiteside means that the Los Angeles Lakers will potentially have to adjust their entire depth chart in order to best utilize the former Miami Heat centers talents.
This is not to say that the team bends to Whiteside’s will and everything changes because of him. Simply put the purple and gold make adjustments in order to not only get Anthony Davis some rest but LeBron James rest too.
A 10 man rotation such as:
- C Hassan Whiteside, Marc Gasol
- PF Anthony Davis, Montrezl Harrell
- SF LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma
- SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Talen Horton-Tucker
- PG Dennis Schröder, Alex Caruso
The likes of Markieff Morris, Wesley Matthews, Jared Dudley, and Alfonzo McKinnie sprinkled in sporadically.
This would allow for Gasol to come off the bench and perform better against the opposing team’s 2nd unit Big men. Kuzma would slide down and get more minutes at the small forward position relieving the pressure being put on LeBron James to play large minutes.
Montrezl Harrell gets minutes at the Power Forward position and with Gasol’s ability to stretch the floor it would allow Harrell to continue to do his thing down low.
It is essential that LeBron James isn’t overworked during the regular season. Yes, he may want his 5th MVP trophy but not at the expense of his body falling apart before the playoffs. It is a luxury for the Lakers to have LeBron playing at an MVP level at the age of 36.
We have witnessed before what happens when you push an aging MVP caliber player to the brink. We watched the late great Kobe Bryant (RIP Mamba) tear his Achilles in order to help the Lakers push for the playoffs. You learn from past mistakes and try not to repeat them.
If the addition of Whiteside can alleviate strain across the board, the Lakers should definitely do it.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the purple and gold have a title window that will shut sooner rather than later.
Maximizing the time in which the Lakers can win numerous championships should be of the utmost priority for the Laker’s front office.
Adding Whiteside who is on a Vet’s minimum deal should be a no-brainer for the purple and gold.
Whether Whiteside is waived or trade the Lakers need to do everything in their power in order to land him.
The addition of the two-time NBA blocks leader and one-time rebounding champion could unlock the fullest potential of this Lakers roster. Running the likes of Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Marc Gasol into the ground with unnecessary minutes will most certainly lead to tired bodies come playoff time.
Make the move now and potentially secure a fruitful season for the purple and gold.