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To give them due credit, the LA Lakers were NBA Championship contenders before their humbling first-round playoff defeat. Every analyst and fan was confident in the men in purple and gold. In his interview with Fubo Sports, Gilbert Arenas claimed that without any injuries, the LA Lakers would be seed number one in the Western Conference. Their early exit from the NBA Championship was shocking, to say the least.
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The Lakers seemingly had everything on their roster. From living legend LeBron James to Anthony Davis, the team's defense was one of the best the league had witnessed and a good defense was the first step to winning. However, this NBA Championship proved that even if you have the greatest defense in the world, winning without supporting scorers is impossible.
LA Lakers must change the way they approach NBA Championship
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The current team relied on their two stars more than any team should because, simply put, basketball is a team game. Players like Schroder and Kyle Kuzma could not handle the Phoenix Suns' playoff hunger and performed unsatisfactorily.
While Dennis Schroder, one of the main scorers and point guard for the LA Lakers, averaged only 14.3 points and 2.8 assists in his six postseason games, Kyle Kuzma averaged a mere 6.3 points in the same number of games.
To become an NBA Championship winning and defending team, the LA Lakers need to immediately make the changes mentioned ahead.
#1 Acquire a reliable sixth man
The 17 NBA Championship winning team needs to find a good sixth man and they need to do it now. The team suffered majorly through last season when LeBron and AD were not on the court.
The supporting cast, with such dominating players on the roaster, performed below expectations. To take the pressure off the team's stars, GM Rob Pelinka has to start looking into bringing in a player with Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams level of potential and will to score.
By trading the likes of Kyle Kuzma for more reliable off-the-bench scorers, Pelinka can increase his team's overall scoring ability. The two players that would fit perfectly into the LA Lakers roster as the sixth man are Tim Hardaway Jr. and Joe Ingles. Both of these players have had exceptional past few years, with Ingles becoming the leading three-point scorer for the Utah Jazz.
#2 Sign a Point guard
LA Lakers management should seriously look into bringing in Russell Westbrook as their team's point guard. The Washington Wizards star, in 2020-21 NBA season, put up spectacular numbers.
He averaged 22.2 points, 11.7 assists, and 11.5 rebounds and led his team to the playoffs. He is so good that even his average numbers for the 2020-21 season were a triple-double. He also broke the record for most number of triple-doubles in an NBA season by posting these numbers in 182 games.
His prowess lies not only in play-making but in scoring and defense as well. Westbrook is a natural rebounder with the ability to get off the rim balls both defensively and offensively. All these abilities make him a perfect match for the LA Lakers squad's NBA Championship journey.
#3 Frank Vogel should stop relying on his big players
Frank Vogel, the LA Lakers head coach, is famous for his love of big players. Bringing in Anthony Davis to the Lebron led team was a show of this love. In a manner, Vogel is right to love players who can protect and attack the rim with their gifted reach and size. Basketball, after all, is traditionally a game of size.
A good player who can overwhelm the court with his physique, power, and size is a deadly threat. That being said, Vogel should also acknowledge that the game has changed a lot. Smaller players like Kyrie, Chris Paul, and Curry regularly win contests over much larger players.
The game is now dominated by players who have finessed their skills and abilities. Considering a big player apt solely for his size will impact the probability of winning the NBA Championship.
If the LA Lakers squad wants to win the next NBA Championship, it's time Vogel took the pressure off AD's injury-prone body. He needs to create a balanced team that is not solely focussed on defending with size and sheer power.
The LA Lakers need to become a team that is well rounded with good off-the-bench scorers, intuitive defensive players and a reliable point guard.
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