LeBron James is the backbone of the Los Angeles Lakers. It is extremely obvious to say, but LeBron and Anthony Davis are the only two players that really matter in LA. Surrounding them with role players is important, but those role players could be anyone.
The Lakers are going to go as far as LeBron and AD can take them and nothing is more indicative of that than their first two seasons together. The duo was exceptional in year one, winning the NBA Championship. In year two, Anthony Davis injured his groin and LeBron was not 100%. They lost in round one.
Part of the equation to maximize the two superstars is to surround them with the proper role players. That was part of the problem with this year’s team — the role players simply did not complement the stars enough. No player showcased that more than Dennis Schroder.
The Lakers are going to bring in new role players this offseason, keeping some and filtering out others. When evaluating who can maximize the stars, the Lakers could try and bring in players who are familiar with what it takes to play with LeBron.
The Los Angeles Lakers could pursue former teammates of LeBron James.
Despite playing in the league for so long, the market of players who are former teammates of LeBron James is pretty slim. There are some former Lakers, but they have their own article here at Lake Show Life.
When breaking it down, there are really only two former LeBron James teammates that make sense for LA. Let’s break them down.
1. Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose has been connected to the Los Angeles Lakers on numerous occasions. Two years ago he was connected to the team as a potential trade candidate, and upgrade, from Rajon Rondo. The same speculation existed this past season up until he was traded to the New York Knicks.
Rose is now a free agent and he is a perfect logistical fit on the Lakers. The point guard position has a lot of unknowns heading into the offseason with both Dennis Schroder and Alex Caruso entering free agency.
Schroder seems to be on his way out, whether it’s via free agency or a sign-and-trade. Alex Caruso should be a priority but does not being the playmaking of a traditional point guard.
The Lakers need a point guard that does not have to be the primary playmaker when he’s on the court, which was the issue with Schroder. That is what makes Rose so perfect.
Rose is a great candidate to play 20-25 minutes per game and facilitate while LeBron is on the bench as well as facilitate for LeBron. His impact will be huge in the regular season for depth purposes and he could have the same kind of playoff impact that Rajon Rondo had two years ago.
2. Jeff Green
Jeff Green is currently making a run at the NBA Finals and has been solid for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Playoffs. The ultimate heat check guy, Green always seems to have one big playoff game for whatever contender he is on in any given season. That happened in Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks, where Green hit his first seven three-point shots.
The concern for the Lakers might be that Green plays himself into too expensive of a contract if he keeps playing like this. While valuable as a three and D wing, Green is not worth much more than any other three and D wing.
That is exactly what the Lakers need, however. The shooting around LeBron James was mediocre and that is less than ideal in a LeBron James-led team.
They’ve gotten away with it in the past because LeBron and AD are so darn good, but not having any shooters made it impossible to even be competitive in the playoffs without AD. With LeBron maybe taking a small step back due to age next season, the Lakers need all the shooting threats they can get.
Green as a free agent is intriguing, especially if they can net him for a contract at or near the veteran minimum. While his regular-season performance will undoubtedly be up and down, his experience and big-game potential in the playoffs would be massive.