Los Angeles Lakers: 3 defensive free agents that help replace Alex Caruso
By Jason Reed
3. Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala might be old but he can still play good defense and the numbers back it up. Iguodala posted a 1.8 DBPM last season, which compared to Alex Caruso’s 2.3, is pretty good. It definitely puts him in the upper-echelon of defenders and that is valuable for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Granted, the situation is different. Caruso put together those numbers while arguably being the most important defensive player on the Lakers last season (with Anthony Davis missing most of the year). Iguodala benefited from his smaller role and not having to guard the other team’s guard every single night.
That being said, he still has a lot to offer defensively, particularly in the playoffs. He is not going to bring the same hard-nosed defensive every single night as Caruso did for the team last season. He is not going to be sprinting 110% for every loose ball like Caruso would.
But when the games really start to matter in the NBA Playoffs his experience and defensive expertise are going to shine through. Iguodala is someone who the Lakers can trust to put in the lineup at the end of games. That is massive out of a minimum guy.
The Lakers are reportedly competing with the Golden State Warriors to sign Iguodala and Rob Pelinka just has to hope that Iguodala does not take the same route that his signings did.
That being said, Iguodala is a former client of Rob Pelinka’s, so he has to like his chances.