Los Angeles Lakers: 3 things that could derail LA from winning the title

2. The Los Angeles Lakers don’t have a true 3-and-D forward

Thirty-something years ago, Michael Cooper was a key member of a Lakers squad that won five NBA world championships with him. He was a great finisher at the rim, especially in transition (they called alley-oops to him “Coop-a-loops”), a deadly 3-point shooter and perhaps the league’s best defensive wing.

Cooper was the NBA’s OG 3-and-D player, which is why I included a photo of him above.

Well, this Lakers team lacks a forward of his ilk, and for me, it’s a sizable bummer.

The Purple and Gold will be a fast-breaking team this upcoming season centered around the talents and skills of James and Westbrook. To make the transition game work, a team needs someone at the 3 who does what Cooper did during the ’80s.

About a decade ago, Trevor Ariza, who just agreed to rejoin the team, was been a player who would’ve fit the bill. But at his current age, there are serious doubts about whether he will give the Lakers the defensive activity and easy transition buckets he gave them during his first stint with the team in the late 2000s.

Ariza has also never been a good 3-point shooter. Although he’s not bad at it, for his career he has only made 35.2 percent of his attempts from downtown.

He can make enough to keep defenses somewhat honest, but not enough to prevent defenses from helping off him to clog the lane for Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis.

A player like Cooper is also needed to neutralize superstars such as Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson, Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum, especially come playoff time.

The lack of a true 3-and-D forward is likely something that will need to be addressed at some point in the next several months.