Los Angeles Lakers: 3 things this roster desperately needs this offseason

By Jason Reed | Jun 5, 2021

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 01: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts as he walks off the court during the second half in Game Five of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at Phoenix Suns Arena on June 01, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

2. The Los Angeles Lakers need a secondary playmaker besides LeBron James

Losing Rajon Rondo was massive for the Los Angeles Lakers. As frustrating as he could be in the regular reason, Rondo came up huge in the playoffs for the Lakers and gave the team a dynamic that it desperately lacked in 2021.

The player that was meant to fill Rondo’s shoes as the secondary playmaker was Dennis Schroder, who simply did not fit the billing. While Schroder’s box score numbers are good on the surface, he is a ball-stopper in the worst way at the point guard position and is not great at initiating offense for others.

Schroder is not a scheme fit on this team at all and the Lakers simply need to move on.

While LeBron takes most of the playmaking duties he still needs someone to take some of that burden off of him and set up plays for him as well. LeBron cannot pass it to himself and when he was off the court there was a massive playmaking hole.

THT has the potential to step up into that role but he is too raw to fully trust next season. Even if it is a veteran minimum deal for someone, the Lakers need some kind of playmaking help that they benefitted from so greatly in 2020 but lacked in 2021.

The best LeBron James teams had that secondary playmaker. Kyrie Irving, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo were all huge to their teams.

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