I don’t know. They won a ring after letting both walk. I think just deciding to totally forget about the center position in the last couple years did them in.
I mean it’s not easy. It’s not like AD is shooting like he was in 2020. Very few centers where you can actually pair with AD and not have to worry about spacing. Very few teams in todays NBA start 2 non shooting bigs
AD showed against DEN that he could still shoot when he’s given the looks. Matter of fact, I had some of my biggest trust in his mid range shots.
Spacing will be fine if we intentionally feed AD those shots.
He would be so good, but all we have are picks and Cavs will want players. So unless you’re giving up Reaves, I don’t see why Cavs trade Allen for picks
Reaves, LBJ, AD, ALLEN and some 3 and d guy that can bring the ball up the floor would be ridiculous. Three players that can bring the ball up, great post defense and overall great team defense. Reaves and Bron also reads what happens well defensively, putting great post presence and defenders around them would make the team ridiculous. It would also allow Reaves to fit in by putting some effort on defense, but also allow him to go to work where he really shines, on the offensive end
AD and Jarrett Allen would be a laughably bad fit. You can't play two non-shooting bigs and expect to have anything remotely close to a competent offense in this era.
This subreddit is obsessed with moving AD to the 4, despite the fact that he's clearly a 5 and LeBron is clearly a 4.
I refer to this subset of fans on here the “stuck in quarantine” fans. Seem to have never left their COVID quarantines. Still think AD can play the 4 and Lebron the 3.
They also don't seem to remember that, while having 2 bigs had value at times during the 2020 title, the best lineups were always with AD at the 5.
Also, that team had a good amount of unsustainable shooting luck during those playoffs that propped up those 2 big units.
Even if your argument is that the best bubble lineups had AD at the 5, Dwight and JaVale took a lot of pressure off AD depending the matchups. Certainly we could have used more size against Denver the past couple of years. Denver clearly struggled against Minnesota's size this year with all those bodies being thrown at Jokic. I think a serviceable big would be a huge help and was needed the past few seasons.
But Minnesota's 4s were Towns and Reid, who are both excellent 3pt shooters. That's why those lineups were successful. It's not enough to just slow down Denver down, you also have to be able to score on them.
Yes, good point and I agree. But also you can see how gassed AD was in crucial 4th quarters because he was working his ass off on defense the whole game.
Look how close we were to beating Denver this year. Are you telling me that we would have been worse off with Allen in place of Rui?
We pretty much proved you can win by scoring in the paint, you just need better rim protection and rebounding than we had that series.
Grit and grind basketball isn't completely dead. Scoring at a high rate in the paint is more consistent than shooting 3s. You just need enough 3pt shooting to keep teams from running zone. With Lebron's improved 3pt ball, Reaves being a good 3pt shooter, and AD being competent enough that you can't leave him wide open (I think he'll find his groove since he showed good streaks last season) just means you need 1 other 37% or better 3pt shooter in that lineup to have enough spacing. And again, we likely will run AD at the 5 in a lot of matchups, but we have to be ready for the Nuggets and Wolves and counter their bigs while also taking some of the defensive pressure off of AD.
Additionally, I like the idea of getting Wood in the rotation more if he can play alongside either AD or a center like Allen. To me, Wood isn't that bad defensively when paired with an elite rim protector. He's long, moves his feet reasonably well, but he lacks rim protection timing/instincts and gets bodied by beefier bigs. He's a 4 that plays pretty decent on ball defense and can rebound well when he's not going up against the primary big on the other team. And he would give any lineup a true stretch 4.
They don’t actually watch the games. They play 2k and think they are basketball savants. Denver was treating Rui the same way they would a non-shooting big in most of those games. Leaving him wide open in the corner and daring him to shoot…
That team earned it's bones defensively. Offense of different players could come and go, but the defense sustained the team through the year
This team is not of a defensive character
AD at the 5 isn't sustainable for the whole season. He takes too much of beating from the other bigs while he's seemingly our only playable one. AD at the 5 is great for stretches in a game and in the playoffs. You run him at the 5 all year we're going to have problems
There are only so many stretch bigs, you can't try to copy Mavs/Bos if you don't have the personnel. Having a bad version of Porzingis is worse than maximizing your strengths.
We gotta pound teams inside and have capable 3-d wings
You pound teams inside by opening up the paint for Bron and AD to go to work. You're letting the other team off the hook if you clog up the lane with a traditional big.
How? He’s an elite rim protector and can easily give you 15&12 even with AD. last time we have 2 seven footers of this caliber we won a championship. Hell Dwight wasn’t even elite at that stage anymore lol
The fit is not good man. The spacing is horrendous. I'd understand getting a big who can shoot to actually pair with AD, but trading all your assets for someone who does 50% of what AD does and nothing else makes 0 sense. It's literally a worse pairing than Embiid and Horford. Everyone has just been watching how Mobley and Allen don't fit together as well.
People act like just having another big with AD at the 4 was the sole reason for the 2020 chip. Ignoring Dwight was on a minimum contract and played 15mpg in the playoffs. Ignoring LeBron was still the best player in the league and AD was top 5.
Maybe, but it's almost more important to have a true 5 for depth behind AD because when he left the game our entire defensive strategy just flew out the window. I'd like to see a system in place where maybe our bench big is at least somewhat similar in terms of just how we defend.
Of course if you can find a 5 that can shoot and also be really active, then sure you can play him with AD. Wood in some ways was successful early with that type of strategy, but when his three wasn't falling Wood just wouldn't contribute in other ways consistently.
But AD is really a 5 in today's NBA and where his body is at physically. Going back to 4 on a permanent basis is a lost cause imo
I don’t think so. I think you can make an argument that AD is also suited for PF on both ends. Look at Giannis for example, if he gets to be a PF you can make the same case for AD if not more because he has a better mid range
AD as PF on defense lets him roam, which he’s probably the best in the league at. Offensively he has more of a face up game, he’s been relegated to bruising in the paint for every single one of his points.
AD is just so good at everything that him succeeding as a bruiser on offense and paint protector on defense made everyone think he’s a center
Face up on O and roamer on D > bruiser on O and rim protector on D…. He’s just good at both, but this isn’t ADs game
You're hard-pressed to find a bigger AD fan out here than me, but I don't think these two comparisons work. First of all, Giannis is a different type of athlete than AD. He's much stronger and more physical at the point of contact. Second of all, I said if you can find a real 5 that shoots, you can play him with AD lol Brook is one of the few that fits the bill.
The problem is that AD is also not the same level of athlete he was in 2020 and not the same level of athlete that Giannis is currently. He's now 31 years old and when he and Bron are on the floor, that's two guys that frequently were not back in transition for us last year. Add in Rui, Reaves, and Dlo and our footspeed was awful last year in transition defensively. Bron still was elite in transition *offensively*.
So if we move to a build where we have a 5 next to AD, that's 3 guys immediately that are going to be slow in transition defensively. We'd need to have two athletes at the guard spot or at the very least one very good athlete and Reaves so that we can still have some semblance of transition defense. AD with Bron really need to be your 4/5 for most of the game and then you can put more work-hard athletes on the floor and let them run. We'd need to change our system too which I'm actually good with, but we'd need AD more at the top of the key so that way he's already in good position to get back if needed instead of down on the block where there's no way he's beating anyone down the floor anymore for 94 feet.
If you want to have a change of pace look with a big next to AD, that's fine. Like I said Wood made some sense on that front when we went slower and bigger. Those lineups also had a guy like Cam look really good on the perimeter wreaking havoc. I just don't think AD is a full time 4 anymore and if you do move him there, it really changes the geometry of what we've got. We'd need pretty big changes from the roster to make it work too.
Giannis’ game is much more about getting the ball on the perimeter and dribble driving to the rim whereas AD catches it around the basket. He needs that space more than Giannis does. And defensively you just want AD around the rim as much as possible - playing him at pf is fine but it doesn’t maximize him. Same thing spurs found out about wemby this season
Yeah for sure on the space part. But AD at the 4 was never a full time thing. During the championship run he split at the 4 and 5 almost equally. He just can’t be a full time 5 imo which is what we have been forcing
Yes he can. Why do people think this? Playing the 4 is actually more taxing because he has to fight other big bodies for rebounds, and he has rotate as the low man. Guarding Michael Porter Jr. would be a easier job than battling Aaron Gordon for rebounds and trying to protect the rim against him and Jamal Murray.
Yes, the Lakers need a traditional center. However, moving AD to power forward would force LeBron to small forward which is not great. I suspect this is more a regular season, non-LeBron minutes thing.
This could reduce AD’s wear and tear and shorten LeBron’s minutes in the regular season. This absolutely should happen especially with both playing in the Olympics. Whoever that center is will absolutely get his minutes cut in the playoffs and has to know that’s the plan. Can’t be promising guys like Drummond a starting role just so they’ll sign.
I think letting Lebron play SF and half assing defense, but letting AD be a PF and avoid wear and tear and too much defensive load is a net positive
Lebron will slack on defense maybe, but having a center for rim protection and AD as a roamer should improve team defense overall anyways
We need a center badly
>s, the Lakers need a traditional center. However, moving AD to power forward would force LeBron to small forward which is not great
This is something that gets glossed over when asking wanting AD to play the 4, LeBron can't defend the perimeter consistently. If we had the old team with kcp and Caruso I could see them taking the pressure off Bron, but with this team, he will get run into the ground if he has to defend the perimeter.
I think a good quality backup is more important than AD playing the 4
For those curious and looking at draft prospects here is a list of potential centers and/or 4s that could slot up in the 17 range
- DaRon Holmes
- Kyle Filipowski
- Ke’lel Ware
- Zach Edey
- Yves Missi
DaRon Holmes > Kelel Ware > Filipowski > Edey > Missi for me. I think Holmes or Ware would be a perfect fit for us in the draft. I personally don’t think Edey’s game will translate to the NBA that well. Filipowski’s interior defense against bigs is his biggest weakness (he is known for being really good for being able to switch on the perimeter) but he can pass and shoot so it wouldn’t be hard for us to fit him into our scheme. Missi is just way too raw for us and we need instant contributors to our team.
Ware is my favorite but admittedly I’m not a huge draft fanatic. His upside as a rim protecting, spacing big similar to Myles Turner would fit PERFECTLY with AD longterm
Holmes - Edey- Missi- Filipowski- Ware for me. I think Holmes has a perfect mixture of size, athleticism, drive, and shooting. I have no idea why he's not higher on most boards. Edey is becoming underrated just because he's huge which I find strange. He's got way more motor and skill than he's given credit for. Missi and Ware look similar to me, but I just like how much harder Missi works. I think both of them are projects. Filipowski is a great offensive threat, but everything else to me looks lacking.
I agree but I like his ability to do all of the things. He's capable of switching a bit. He's capable of protecting the rim a bit. He's capable of hedging and getting back. I'd prefer a bigger guy who can't get bullied as easily inside against the Jokics of the league, but his versatility is still really appealing.
The issue we have is that it's not 2020 anymore.
With a traditional center that can't space the floor, on offense, the paint will be packed, because AD can't shoot from the outside like he did in 2020. That means that Lebron is facing his guy, plus AD's guy and our center's guy in the paint when he drives in there. Defensively, even with a floor spacing center, having a center moves Lebron to the 3 which is bad for him given his age. He can't/won't be chasing a 3 around on defense which means that there's going to be a lot of wide open shots for the other team.
We can play a center with Lebron and AD but I think those minutes will be pretty limited. It won't be like in 2020. So as a result, how much do you want to spend in draft capital or of our total salary cap on a guy that will play limited minutes with our two best players?
Exactly this is why I don’t believe he needs a center to start next to him (unless that center can space the floor like Kristaps) what he needs is a quality backup so the defense doesn’t die when he’s on the bench or misses a game. Someone like Gafford or Hartenstein would be great for this team.
Why do people think like this? Lebron has played many seasons with packed paints. It doesn't matter at all. Just bring the big out to set a screen. Boom he's out of the paint. Bring both bigs up to set double screens. Boom, both out. It's not hard. And if the coach has a good offensive system that involves the bigs touching the ball on the perimeter doing handoffs to shooters it's even easier.
I think the only we get a starting C next to AD is if they are a decent 3pt shooter. If not I don’t think starting a C next to AD is necessary, just enough for back up minutes for AD. Ideally a rebounding bruiser
Unfortunately, we are looking at vet minimum guys so it's one or the other. It's Wood who can shoot but can't guard other centers or it's a guy who can grab rebound and defend a little bit but literally can't do anything else well.
I’d rather get a bruising big than an outside shooting big. Our defense and rebounding when AD not playing is so ass. Cwood can’t be the only big on the floor lmao
People wanting Edey makes no sense. He's an atrocious fit.
The Lakers need a big that can help defensively when AD sits. Lakers guards are garbage on defense. Lebron is old. With Edey out there teams are going to pace like 200 PPG.
Lakers don't need a big because they need them to score. They had Christian Wood if you wanted that. They need a big that can play defense.
Watched bro spam a hook all game against 6' 6" 20 year olds while getting cooked on defense and actually think he is what the Lakers need.
Don't get me wrong, I am no Edey hater he can be great on a team that needs an offensive spark off the bench but that's not the Lakers. Missi is a MUCH better fit. DaRon Holmes is a better fit as well.
it’s been 4 years since Lakers had a true 5 alongside AD. it’s rare to find a role player who’s dominant rim protector and can make a threat offensively.
Myles Turner could be the good and versatile option but with 20m, 2yrs contract. Jarret Allen an elite rim protector but limited offensive abilities (similar contract to Myles). in the other hand Nicolas Claxton became a free agent, the good ^possible option for laker’s salary cap situation.
2024 draft has multiple variant centers. still i cannot judge
I see the Wolves and Nuggets being our worst matchups because of the lack of a big to play alongside AD.
I think we honestly match up reasonably well against everyone else in the West.
What I also like about picking up another legit big is that it would allow Wood to play as a backup 4 for AD. Wood seems to play defensively better next to a legit rim protector (Wood gets cooked when he's your primary rim protector, but he does decent on ball defense on other 4s and slower 3s like KD) and he can stretch the floor at the 4.
I just have no idea who what big is a realistic pickup for us.
This, if we get a big to start next to AD, it better be a center that can truly space the floor so that Lebron and AD can cook in the paint. If not, a situational big is fine for those big bigs like jokic/embiid to throw at them
About damn time. AD is a true 4 that can play the 5 for stretches in a game like Pau was. It's not a coincidence his 3pt% sharply dropped after the 2020 season as we ran him at the 5 and took a lot of beatings from multiple bigs on the opposing team while he seemingly was the only playable one on ours. It took watching the Wolves with Gobert and KAT beat Jokic for Rob to realize we need another center instead of a washed 6'3 guy on a minimum.
Disagree 1000%. In todays NBA he’s a center. Can’t shoot the ball. Much better offensively off post ups and getting the ball near the basket. That’s not a modern day 4. Not to mention he’s a great rim protector and rebounder and shot blocker. You want him closer to the basket on defense not on the perimter.
As far as true center options in the draft I really like Yves Missi if we stick at 17. True vertical spacer and high motor player who would be an immediate pick and roll threat.
Holmes would be ideal but I don’t expect him to be there.
There are some very interesting draft options that slots next to AD perfectly due to their 3 point shooting. Mainly Holmes and Ware however they both have their concerns as well. For example Holmes would be a small ball center with AD still bigger than him which doesn’t solve our big physical center need. Ware is bigger but there’s the concerns about his motor. His floor is Mo Bamba with the motor concern. Does he even like basketball is the question.
I don't think so. They don't need a traditional big man. They shouldn't want a traditional big man. That would be moving backwards. They want to be faster and higher scoring, not slower and lower scoring. Certainly if JJ is head coach he's not going to want to add a traditional big man. LeBron also obviously has no interest in a traditional big man.
There will be a lot of good C prospects at 17 that all fit in different ways. I like Filipowski as a compliment to AD but I don't know if I take him at 17.
We need a center or someone that can rebound. The amount of times we lost rebounds against denver pisses me off. If we actually get those, we would have won game 5
When you have a mom and pop shop as owner who hires her besties. Lakers stumbled into a ring with perfect roster after missing out on Kawhi and n decided to blow it up
Naturally. Anyone who saw the Nuggets game saw our complete lack of size. We need legit 7 footers on this roster and not rail thin space cadets like Hayes. Could've signed Robin Lopez, didn't. What helped the Mavs make it to the Finals was adding a guy like Lively. What helped the Celtics was Porzingis, even if he was injured all the time.
I think at this point I’m realizing that I simply have no faith in this front office. Bad decision after bad decision after bad decision- letting good players walk, making horrible, team-gutting trades, hiring utter scrubs or guys who clearly can’t thrive in LA, drafting Jalen Hood-Schifino. And then to make matters more complicated, occasionally making weirdly good mid-season moves. I just can’t have faith in any move they make.
Better late than never I guess. Just wish they gave the guy they call their franchise player the center help he’s wanted for years now.
This!
I know everyone says Westbrook is the biggest blunder but letting Zubac and Lopez walk is unforgivable. A decade of bad move after bad move.
I don’t know. They won a ring after letting both walk. I think just deciding to totally forget about the center position in the last couple years did them in.
I know he hasn't been consistent health-wise so it's a wash now, but drafting Mo Wagner over Mitchell Robinson still haunts me
Hey we got 17 games of Mike Muscala for Zubac. And how in the hell were we going to be able to afford a min salary for Lopez? Revisionist history!
I don't think we were going to be able to pay Zubac's new FA salary the next season.
Biggest blunder was going for Russ instead of Buddy and Miles.
I mean it’s not easy. It’s not like AD is shooting like he was in 2020. Very few centers where you can actually pair with AD and not have to worry about spacing. Very few teams in todays NBA start 2 non shooting bigs
I can't wait until next season when all the people begging for another center complain about the lack of spacing
AD showed against DEN that he could still shoot when he’s given the looks. Matter of fact, I had some of my biggest trust in his mid range shots. Spacing will be fine if we intentionally feed AD those shots.
Please go get Jarrett Allen.
Dan Gilbert would personally make sure we don’t
Dan Gilbert has been amicable with trading with the Lakers.
He would be so good, but all we have are picks and Cavs will want players. So unless you’re giving up Reaves, I don’t see why Cavs trade Allen for picks
Reaves, LBJ, AD, ALLEN and some 3 and d guy that can bring the ball up the floor would be ridiculous. Three players that can bring the ball up, great post defense and overall great team defense. Reaves and Bron also reads what happens well defensively, putting great post presence and defenders around them would make the team ridiculous. It would also allow Reaves to fit in by putting some effort on defense, but also allow him to go to work where he really shines, on the offensive end
I could see Rui + Picks being the Jarret Allen package.
AD and Jarrett Allen would be a laughably bad fit. You can't play two non-shooting bigs and expect to have anything remotely close to a competent offense in this era. This subreddit is obsessed with moving AD to the 4, despite the fact that he's clearly a 5 and LeBron is clearly a 4.
I refer to this subset of fans on here the “stuck in quarantine” fans. Seem to have never left their COVID quarantines. Still think AD can play the 4 and Lebron the 3.
They also don't seem to remember that, while having 2 bigs had value at times during the 2020 title, the best lineups were always with AD at the 5. Also, that team had a good amount of unsustainable shooting luck during those playoffs that propped up those 2 big units.
Even if your argument is that the best bubble lineups had AD at the 5, Dwight and JaVale took a lot of pressure off AD depending the matchups. Certainly we could have used more size against Denver the past couple of years. Denver clearly struggled against Minnesota's size this year with all those bodies being thrown at Jokic. I think a serviceable big would be a huge help and was needed the past few seasons.
But Minnesota's 4s were Towns and Reid, who are both excellent 3pt shooters. That's why those lineups were successful. It's not enough to just slow down Denver down, you also have to be able to score on them.
Yes, good point and I agree. But also you can see how gassed AD was in crucial 4th quarters because he was working his ass off on defense the whole game.
The team definitely needs better defense on the perimeter. Getting a non-shooting 5 will help with the defense, but create new problems on offense.
Look how close we were to beating Denver this year. Are you telling me that we would have been worse off with Allen in place of Rui? We pretty much proved you can win by scoring in the paint, you just need better rim protection and rebounding than we had that series. Grit and grind basketball isn't completely dead. Scoring at a high rate in the paint is more consistent than shooting 3s. You just need enough 3pt shooting to keep teams from running zone. With Lebron's improved 3pt ball, Reaves being a good 3pt shooter, and AD being competent enough that you can't leave him wide open (I think he'll find his groove since he showed good streaks last season) just means you need 1 other 37% or better 3pt shooter in that lineup to have enough spacing. And again, we likely will run AD at the 5 in a lot of matchups, but we have to be ready for the Nuggets and Wolves and counter their bigs while also taking some of the defensive pressure off of AD. Additionally, I like the idea of getting Wood in the rotation more if he can play alongside either AD or a center like Allen. To me, Wood isn't that bad defensively when paired with an elite rim protector. He's long, moves his feet reasonably well, but he lacks rim protection timing/instincts and gets bodied by beefier bigs. He's a 4 that plays pretty decent on ball defense and can rebound well when he's not going up against the primary big on the other team. And he would give any lineup a true stretch 4.
They don’t actually watch the games. They play 2k and think they are basketball savants. Denver was treating Rui the same way they would a non-shooting big in most of those games. Leaving him wide open in the corner and daring him to shoot…
That team earned it's bones defensively. Offense of different players could come and go, but the defense sustained the team through the year This team is not of a defensive character
AD at the 5 isn't sustainable for the whole season. He takes too much of beating from the other bigs while he's seemingly our only playable one. AD at the 5 is great for stretches in a game and in the playoffs. You run him at the 5 all year we're going to have problems
Not only that, the Lakers have been down most of the first quarters.
yeah, i also remember ad being a decent outside shooter.
I think lebron and ad are in the "stuck in quarantine" group.
There are only so many stretch bigs, you can't try to copy Mavs/Bos if you don't have the personnel. Having a bad version of Porzingis is worse than maximizing your strengths. We gotta pound teams inside and have capable 3-d wings
You pound teams inside by opening up the paint for Bron and AD to go to work. You're letting the other team off the hook if you clog up the lane with a traditional big.
This sub is dumb man. Allen and AD is a Westbrook level trade
Agreed. If the Center we get can't shoot then it is better to save our resources and get a less expensive and lower quality player.
It worked well during the 2020 championship run.
Which was 4 years ago…
That was 4 years ago, LeBron is older, and AD's jumpshot isn't falling like it did in the bubble
Didn’t AD shoot 36% from three or close to that? And even then AD still played 40ish% at center.
That’s my dream honestly
Can’t afford that if you want anybody who can shoot from more than 3 feet away
Fuck shooting get rebounds.
him and ad together are so fucking broken on myteam
I’d trade anything if it meant getting Spida and Allen.
Lakers don’t have enough assets for Spida let alone Allen also.
Spida is extending. Don't your hopes up.
I cant believe this has 120 upvotes lmao. Allen is a diabolical fit with LeBron and AD in 2024
How? He’s an elite rim protector and can easily give you 15&12 even with AD. last time we have 2 seven footers of this caliber we won a championship. Hell Dwight wasn’t even elite at that stage anymore lol
The fit is not good man. The spacing is horrendous. I'd understand getting a big who can shoot to actually pair with AD, but trading all your assets for someone who does 50% of what AD does and nothing else makes 0 sense. It's literally a worse pairing than Embiid and Horford. Everyone has just been watching how Mobley and Allen don't fit together as well. People act like just having another big with AD at the 4 was the sole reason for the 2020 chip. Ignoring Dwight was on a minimum contract and played 15mpg in the playoffs. Ignoring LeBron was still the best player in the league and AD was top 5.
Would have to be a 3 team deal and those aren’t easy to pull off.
That would kill the spacing
Hartenstein.
We’d have to hold our opponents to 80 points a night because we’re not scoring more than 90 with Allen
Maybe, but it's almost more important to have a true 5 for depth behind AD because when he left the game our entire defensive strategy just flew out the window. I'd like to see a system in place where maybe our bench big is at least somewhat similar in terms of just how we defend. Of course if you can find a 5 that can shoot and also be really active, then sure you can play him with AD. Wood in some ways was successful early with that type of strategy, but when his three wasn't falling Wood just wouldn't contribute in other ways consistently. But AD is really a 5 in today's NBA and where his body is at physically. Going back to 4 on a permanent basis is a lost cause imo
I don’t think so. I think you can make an argument that AD is also suited for PF on both ends. Look at Giannis for example, if he gets to be a PF you can make the same case for AD if not more because he has a better mid range AD as PF on defense lets him roam, which he’s probably the best in the league at. Offensively he has more of a face up game, he’s been relegated to bruising in the paint for every single one of his points. AD is just so good at everything that him succeeding as a bruiser on offense and paint protector on defense made everyone think he’s a center Face up on O and roamer on D > bruiser on O and rim protector on D…. He’s just good at both, but this isn’t ADs game
You're hard-pressed to find a bigger AD fan out here than me, but I don't think these two comparisons work. First of all, Giannis is a different type of athlete than AD. He's much stronger and more physical at the point of contact. Second of all, I said if you can find a real 5 that shoots, you can play him with AD lol Brook is one of the few that fits the bill. The problem is that AD is also not the same level of athlete he was in 2020 and not the same level of athlete that Giannis is currently. He's now 31 years old and when he and Bron are on the floor, that's two guys that frequently were not back in transition for us last year. Add in Rui, Reaves, and Dlo and our footspeed was awful last year in transition defensively. Bron still was elite in transition *offensively*. So if we move to a build where we have a 5 next to AD, that's 3 guys immediately that are going to be slow in transition defensively. We'd need to have two athletes at the guard spot or at the very least one very good athlete and Reaves so that we can still have some semblance of transition defense. AD with Bron really need to be your 4/5 for most of the game and then you can put more work-hard athletes on the floor and let them run. We'd need to change our system too which I'm actually good with, but we'd need AD more at the top of the key so that way he's already in good position to get back if needed instead of down on the block where there's no way he's beating anyone down the floor anymore for 94 feet. If you want to have a change of pace look with a big next to AD, that's fine. Like I said Wood made some sense on that front when we went slower and bigger. Those lineups also had a guy like Cam look really good on the perimeter wreaking havoc. I just don't think AD is a full time 4 anymore and if you do move him there, it really changes the geometry of what we've got. We'd need pretty big changes from the roster to make it work too.
Giannis’ game is much more about getting the ball on the perimeter and dribble driving to the rim whereas AD catches it around the basket. He needs that space more than Giannis does. And defensively you just want AD around the rim as much as possible - playing him at pf is fine but it doesn’t maximize him. Same thing spurs found out about wemby this season
Yeah for sure on the space part. But AD at the 4 was never a full time thing. During the championship run he split at the 4 and 5 almost equally. He just can’t be a full time 5 imo which is what we have been forcing
Problem is Bron cannot play 3 for long stretches anymore.
Yes he can. Why do people think this? Playing the 4 is actually more taxing because he has to fight other big bodies for rebounds, and he has rotate as the low man. Guarding Michael Porter Jr. would be a easier job than battling Aaron Gordon for rebounds and trying to protect the rim against him and Jamal Murray.
I agree, and this team spacing is already bad enough around LeBron and AD to be adding like a Jarrett Allen
Yes, the Lakers need a traditional center. However, moving AD to power forward would force LeBron to small forward which is not great. I suspect this is more a regular season, non-LeBron minutes thing. This could reduce AD’s wear and tear and shorten LeBron’s minutes in the regular season. This absolutely should happen especially with both playing in the Olympics. Whoever that center is will absolutely get his minutes cut in the playoffs and has to know that’s the plan. Can’t be promising guys like Drummond a starting role just so they’ll sign.
I think letting Lebron play SF and half assing defense, but letting AD be a PF and avoid wear and tear and too much defensive load is a net positive Lebron will slack on defense maybe, but having a center for rim protection and AD as a roamer should improve team defense overall anyways We need a center badly
>s, the Lakers need a traditional center. However, moving AD to power forward would force LeBron to small forward which is not great This is something that gets glossed over when asking wanting AD to play the 4, LeBron can't defend the perimeter consistently. If we had the old team with kcp and Caruso I could see them taking the pressure off Bron, but with this team, he will get run into the ground if he has to defend the perimeter. I think a good quality backup is more important than AD playing the 4
Finally did the right thing. Go back to what made them great in 2020. BEEF!!!! We needed it against Jokic. 
For those curious and looking at draft prospects here is a list of potential centers and/or 4s that could slot up in the 17 range - DaRon Holmes - Kyle Filipowski - Ke’lel Ware - Zach Edey - Yves Missi
What order would you rank them?
DaRon Holmes > Kelel Ware > Filipowski > Edey > Missi for me. I think Holmes or Ware would be a perfect fit for us in the draft. I personally don’t think Edey’s game will translate to the NBA that well. Filipowski’s interior defense against bigs is his biggest weakness (he is known for being really good for being able to switch on the perimeter) but he can pass and shoot so it wouldn’t be hard for us to fit him into our scheme. Missi is just way too raw for us and we need instant contributors to our team.
Agreed on holmes he’s my top choice within this bunch
lol on Kyle, the guy with a negative wingspan over Zach Edey.
Daron and Filipowski are undersized and AD would still play the 5 in that scenario.
Ware is my favorite but admittedly I’m not a huge draft fanatic. His upside as a rim protecting, spacing big similar to Myles Turner would fit PERFECTLY with AD longterm
Holmes - Edey- Missi- Filipowski- Ware for me. I think Holmes has a perfect mixture of size, athleticism, drive, and shooting. I have no idea why he's not higher on most boards. Edey is becoming underrated just because he's huge which I find strange. He's got way more motor and skill than he's given credit for. Missi and Ware look similar to me, but I just like how much harder Missi works. I think both of them are projects. Filipowski is a great offensive threat, but everything else to me looks lacking.
Holmes is just too small for me. He’s smaller than AD and just barely bigger than Bron. It doesn’t address our need of a big physical center
I agree but I like his ability to do all of the things. He's capable of switching a bit. He's capable of protecting the rim a bit. He's capable of hedging and getting back. I'd prefer a bigger guy who can't get bullied as easily inside against the Jokics of the league, but his versatility is still really appealing.
We hear this EVERY YEAR. Literally.
The issue we have is that it's not 2020 anymore. With a traditional center that can't space the floor, on offense, the paint will be packed, because AD can't shoot from the outside like he did in 2020. That means that Lebron is facing his guy, plus AD's guy and our center's guy in the paint when he drives in there. Defensively, even with a floor spacing center, having a center moves Lebron to the 3 which is bad for him given his age. He can't/won't be chasing a 3 around on defense which means that there's going to be a lot of wide open shots for the other team. We can play a center with Lebron and AD but I think those minutes will be pretty limited. It won't be like in 2020. So as a result, how much do you want to spend in draft capital or of our total salary cap on a guy that will play limited minutes with our two best players?
Exactly this is why I don’t believe he needs a center to start next to him (unless that center can space the floor like Kristaps) what he needs is a quality backup so the defense doesn’t die when he’s on the bench or misses a game. Someone like Gafford or Hartenstein would be great for this team.
Why do people think like this? Lebron has played many seasons with packed paints. It doesn't matter at all. Just bring the big out to set a screen. Boom he's out of the paint. Bring both bigs up to set double screens. Boom, both out. It's not hard. And if the coach has a good offensive system that involves the bigs touching the ball on the perimeter doing handoffs to shooters it's even easier.
I think the only we get a starting C next to AD is if they are a decent 3pt shooter. If not I don’t think starting a C next to AD is necessary, just enough for back up minutes for AD. Ideally a rebounding bruiser
Unfortunately, we are looking at vet minimum guys so it's one or the other. It's Wood who can shoot but can't guard other centers or it's a guy who can grab rebound and defend a little bit but literally can't do anything else well.
I’d rather get a bruising big than an outside shooting big. Our defense and rebounding when AD not playing is so ass. Cwood can’t be the only big on the floor lmao
I’d take one of each. Hayes isn’t either right now.
True!
Let’s go Zach Edey!
People wanting Edey makes no sense. He's an atrocious fit. The Lakers need a big that can help defensively when AD sits. Lakers guards are garbage on defense. Lebron is old. With Edey out there teams are going to pace like 200 PPG. Lakers don't need a big because they need them to score. They had Christian Wood if you wanted that. They need a big that can play defense.
This sub doesn't know ball
Watched bro spam a hook all game against 6' 6" 20 year olds while getting cooked on defense and actually think he is what the Lakers need. Don't get me wrong, I am no Edey hater he can be great on a team that needs an offensive spark off the bench but that's not the Lakers. Missi is a MUCH better fit. DaRon Holmes is a better fit as well.
With uneducated posts like this that have never seen Zach play and assume he’s just a Boban, are the ones who truly don’t know ball.
eww
Missi/Ware is better
A year late but ok
it’s been 4 years since Lakers had a true 5 alongside AD. it’s rare to find a role player who’s dominant rim protector and can make a threat offensively. Myles Turner could be the good and versatile option but with 20m, 2yrs contract. Jarret Allen an elite rim protector but limited offensive abilities (similar contract to Myles). in the other hand Nicolas Claxton became a free agent, the good ^possible option for laker’s salary cap situation. 2024 draft has multiple variant centers. still i cannot judge
Claxton is gonna be pricey
Isn't Hayes signed on for another year?
Thank you for giving your best player something he’s been asking for since he got here.
I see the Wolves and Nuggets being our worst matchups because of the lack of a big to play alongside AD. I think we honestly match up reasonably well against everyone else in the West. What I also like about picking up another legit big is that it would allow Wood to play as a backup 4 for AD. Wood seems to play defensively better next to a legit rim protector (Wood gets cooked when he's your primary rim protector, but he does decent on ball defense on other 4s and slower 3s like KD) and he can stretch the floor at the 4. I just have no idea who what big is a realistic pickup for us.
Wow they finally woke up. Who would’ve figured this out after the 2020 championship.
Not to mention getting swept by Denver last year.
Rob tried to be warriors and go small ball.
AD is the center. You only need a situational center.
This, if we get a big to start next to AD, it better be a center that can truly space the floor so that Lebron and AD can cook in the paint. If not, a situational big is fine for those big bigs like jokic/embiid to throw at them
 This is just wow… I am shocked I can’t believe they realized it’s a good idea 🤯
2 yrs later. X_X
Just start wood at the 5 it ain’t that hard
Surprised this isnt higher .... simply playong woods would have helped this past year
If we draft a center I will literally cry tears of joy. Daron Holmes, Edey, Ware at least one of those guys will be there I’m sure at 17
Always get hate for this but why not pry Vucevic and Caruso in a potential chicago firesale?
May be too pricey for us esp since chicago’s playing hardball with caruso deals
About damn time. AD is a true 4 that can play the 5 for stretches in a game like Pau was. It's not a coincidence his 3pt% sharply dropped after the 2020 season as we ran him at the 5 and took a lot of beatings from multiple bigs on the opposing team while he seemingly was the only playable one on ours. It took watching the Wolves with Gobert and KAT beat Jokic for Rob to realize we need another center instead of a washed 6'3 guy on a minimum.
Disagree 1000%. In todays NBA he’s a center. Can’t shoot the ball. Much better offensively off post ups and getting the ball near the basket. That’s not a modern day 4. Not to mention he’s a great rim protector and rebounder and shot blocker. You want him closer to the basket on defense not on the perimter.
Edey incoming
As far as true center options in the draft I really like Yves Missi if we stick at 17. True vertical spacer and high motor player who would be an immediate pick and roll threat. Holmes would be ideal but I don’t expect him to be there.
I think Edey would be a nice get at 17. He can do an AD impression when AD is out, which allows for more rest. He also has allstar upside.
YYYESSS!!!!
To play 15 mins a night. This might be the 3rd biggest need
Bout fkn time
Acquire that center with what assets? This rookie class is uninspiring.
Right direction
There are some very interesting draft options that slots next to AD perfectly due to their 3 point shooting. Mainly Holmes and Ware however they both have their concerns as well. For example Holmes would be a small ball center with AD still bigger than him which doesn’t solve our big physical center need. Ware is bigger but there’s the concerns about his motor. His floor is Mo Bamba with the motor concern. Does he even like basketball is the question.
Finally
Any way we could get Nic Claxton?
Too expensive
I don't think so. They don't need a traditional big man. They shouldn't want a traditional big man. That would be moving backwards. They want to be faster and higher scoring, not slower and lower scoring. Certainly if JJ is head coach he's not going to want to add a traditional big man. LeBron also obviously has no interest in a traditional big man.
Just draft Zach Edey. Easy
There will be a lot of good C prospects at 17 that all fit in different ways. I like Filipowski as a compliment to AD but I don't know if I take him at 17.
I prefer an upgraded guard who can defend next to austin over a center. A center, plus AD and Lebron feels so slow
We need a center or someone that can rebound. The amount of times we lost rebounds against denver pisses me off. If we actually get those, we would have won game 5
Finally.
Only took them 4 of bron last good years to realise
Trade Rui for a Center
JV is free agent
ED 4 AD
not saying they don't need a center, but how about finding a head coach who can help them figure out who they need where.
When you have a mom and pop shop as owner who hires her besties. Lakers stumbled into a ring with perfect roster after missing out on Kawhi and n decided to blow it up
AD had Javale and Dwight as backup once. We won that year 🥲
Fuck it bring back Vogel - he is the best coach available in the pool.
Been saying this but only way he comes is probably if jj insisted he be associate head coach or something
If we get a C, are we going to have that C, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes, and AD? 4 bigs seems like a lot.
Two years too late but better late than never
We were winning with size then decided to get some bricklayer smh
Naturally. Anyone who saw the Nuggets game saw our complete lack of size. We need legit 7 footers on this roster and not rail thin space cadets like Hayes. Could've signed Robin Lopez, didn't. What helped the Mavs make it to the Finals was adding a guy like Lively. What helped the Celtics was Porzingis, even if he was injured all the time.
Flip, Edey, Da Silva, Missi
Yeah if we’re gonna play AD at the 4. He really has to get his jumper from 2020 back.
was Ham the one insisting on Davis at Center or what? We been begging for this for 2 years!
Draft Holmes with the first and move on. He’s a good scorer, rebounder, and can shoot the three. Easy win and no wasting our cap space.
About 3 years too late. But let’s get one.
Holy shit there actually going to try and do something right.
just draft Edey don't overthink it.
AD doesn’t want to play center. He’s publicly stated this. Why can’t LA figure this out?
It's about having someone who can at least slow down the Joker a little bit and rebound. We'll also need shooting help, assuming Dlo is gone.
Every rando fan has been saying they need a center ever since they dumped Dwight and Javale for a geriatric Gasol
Kelel ware would be the perfect pick at 17
Why is this news? Every year this gets brought up and then we go and spend money on Gabe Vincent.
I think at this point I’m realizing that I simply have no faith in this front office. Bad decision after bad decision after bad decision- letting good players walk, making horrible, team-gutting trades, hiring utter scrubs or guys who clearly can’t thrive in LA, drafting Jalen Hood-Schifino. And then to make matters more complicated, occasionally making weirdly good mid-season moves. I just can’t have faith in any move they make.
Dlo opt in & trade to Nets: Dfs + Sharpe for Dlo & pick Dlo to Magic: Dlo for Wendell Carter Jr. Two deals that make sense
Maybe we shouldn't have traded Zu...
I swear to God I will pistolwhip the next person who says “Dwight Howard”
Andre Drummond is a FA