NBA Today: Assessing the Center position for Los Angeles Lakers after DeMarcus Cousins' injury

The upcoming season is one of the most anticipated campaigns for the Los Angeles Lakers in recent years. Not only because of the addition of superstar power forward Anthony Davis, teaming him up with LeBron James, but because of other intriguing additions to the team.

One of them is DeMarcus Cousins, who was looking to recapture his status as one of the top centers in the NBA, after an injury-plagued stint with the Golden State Warriors. "Boogie" showed flashes in the regular season and in the NBA Finals, including a memorable Game 2 effort. But he was frequently a liability on defense and often did not have the lift to finish around the rim. After the Warriors were dethroned by the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals, Cousins decided to move on, and given the considerable changes the Warriors have made, it is not certain he would have stayed anyway.

Cousins looked significantly slimmer this summer and had been working out hard in the gym and on the court. He looked to be on his way to making a successful comeback and helping the Lakers become a legitimate title contender. However, last week, Cousins would suffer another devastating injury in a pickup game in Las Vegas. He was going for a fairly routine layup, but unfortunately, his knee gave out and he fell to the floor. He was diagnosed with a torn ACL.

It is yet another severe injury in an untimely and sad string of events for a player that was arguably the most talented and gifted center in the NBA at one point. This is Cousins' third major injury since January 2018. This is his second one since April, as he had suffered a quad injury in Game 2 of the first round versus the Los Angeles Clippers (but he returned during the NBA Finals).

Before Nikola Jokic, Cousins was considered to be among the top passing big men in the league.

Before Nikola Jokic, he was considered among the best passing big men in the league, and before Joel Embiid, he was arguably the most physically imposing and dominant center. He has been known for his strong personality, to put it mildly. His propensity for picking up technical fouls and clashing with coaches, fans, and the media has brought him negative attention. But his talent is undeniable.

Cousins has career averages of 21.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, on 46.1% from the field, and 33.2% from 3-point range. He had familiarity and a close relationship with Anthony Davis, from their pairing at the New Orleans Pelicans. Before his Achilles injury in the 2017-18 season, Boogie was averaging 25.2 points and career-highs with 12.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. Defense was never quite Boogie’s strong suit, but for his career, he has averaged 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks.

With this injury, a big piece will literally and figuratively be missing for the Lakers. Other than JaVale McGee and Anthony Davis, the Lakers will be a significantly smaller team. Kostas Antetokounmpo is the third tallest player at 6-10, but he is signed to a two-way contract and will have to earn his way into the rotation during training camp. Kyle Kuzma is the next tallest player on the active roster at 6-9, and he is a natural forward (though he has played center at times during his career).

The center position suddenly is a position of need now, especially in a Western Conference full of elite big men who play the 5 such as Nikola Jokic, Karl Anthony-Towns, Clint Capela, Rudy Gobert, Kristaps Porzingis, and Steven Adams, to name a few. Size is still a factor even in the modern NBA. The defending champions Toronto Raptors proved that with the impact made on both ends by Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Pascal Siakam. Furthermore, their rival Los Angeles Clippers could even cause problems inside with Ivica Zubac, Montrezl Harrell, JaMychal Green, and new addition Patrick Patterson.

The Lakers currently have a roster spot available. We will assess who the Lakers have currently on the roster, and possible free agent options, including an unlikely possible reunion with a former star.

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In-roster options

The re-signing of JaVale McGee is even more important now with Cousins’ injury.

#1 JaVale McGee

After Kawhi Leonard ended his Lakers flirtation (there are some doubts to how serious he was, though he says he was very close) and went down the hallway to the Clippers, the Lakers unleashed a flurry of signing and re-signings. JaVale McGee was one of the first ones re-signed, and that signing is even more important now with Cousins’ injury. McGee reinvented himself from a journeyman and weekly Shaqtin’ a Fool fixture to a key contributor for two championships with the Golden State Warriors.

This season, as a free-agent signing by the Los Angeles Lakers, he had arguably the best individual season of his career. He was even in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year for a period of time in the early part of the year. However, just before Christmas, he had a severe bout with pneumonia, and after he returned, his effectiveness was not the same for quite a while.

After the All-Star break, however, his play picked back up on both ends. He put himself in elite category this past season, becoming only the second player in the league to average at least two blocks per game with at least 10 points, and 60+ percent shooting from the field. The other player is reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz. Evidenced by his shooting percentage, his best shot remains the dunk, but he has shown a Kareem-like skyhook at times, and he will even hit an occasional jumper.

McGee, 31, ended the season with averages of 12.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, on 62.8% shooting from the field in just 22.3 minutes. He played in 75 games and started 62 games. The problem is that the Lakers have no other true center on the roster and McGee is most effective in the 20-25 minute range.

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#2 Anthony Davis

The Lakers have reportedly made it clear that they do not intend to play AD major minutes at the 5

Despite standing at 6-10 and 253 pounds with a 7-6 wingspan, the center position is not a preferred position for AD. He has no problem playing it when necessary, however, and unsurprisingly, he has excelled at that position. AD was largely expected to play the position late in games anyway, when they want to go with their own “death lineup”, with James and Kuzma as the forwards. This was expected even with a healthy Boogie.

Unless the Lakers find another competent big man, Davis might play center a bit more than initially expected. However, the Lakers have made it clear that they do not intend to play Davis major minutes at the 5. The team wants to avoid him playing that position too often, to prevent wear and tear on a player who has dealt with some injuries during the course of his career.

Other options

Dwight Howard clashed with Kobe Bryant for not being serious enough and working hard enough

#1 Dwight Howard

The Lakers have been down this road before, and it was memorable for all the wrong reasons. In his lone season as a Laker, he was never truly healthy due to shoulder and back issues. He never endeared himself to the “Lakers Nation”, who felt he didn’t take the game seriously enough with the constant smiling and laughing and didn’t work to improve his overall game enough. He clashed with Kobe Bryant for many of those very reasons, and that in turn made Kobe actually appreciate Shaquille O’Neal in retrospect. He did not leave the Lakers on good terms at all.

Even years after, every time Howard appears at Staples Center against the Lakers, he is booed and jeered whenever he touches the ball. He is also far-removed from his prime "Superman" years in Orlando, where he was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, regularly at the top of player leaders in rebounds, blocks, and dunks. He was considered the most dominant center in the league.

He only played in 9 games last season due to a gluteal injury with the Washington Wizards, averaging just 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds. He only blocked 4 shots total. His last full, healthy season came in 2017-18 with the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 81 games (and starts). His low-post offense became at least respectable, and he showed some surprising ball-handling skills at times. But some of the same problems continued.

The offense, which was not very diverse to begin with (Kemba Walker was the only real major scorer), slowed down at times with him on the floor, and he tended to toss-up wild awkward hooks in traffic rather than pass the ball (he only averaged 1.3 assists). The only game he missed was because he was suspended for 1 game for reaching the technical foul limit of 16.

Additionally, he reportedly wore out his welcome with teammates. Fast forward to this upcoming season, he is currently on the Memphis Grizzlies roster, but is widely expected to be released and become an unrestricted free agent, likely before training camp. His future in the NBA, which has changed drastically since his prime years, is tenuous at best.

Howard, who turns 34 in December, looked noticeably slimmer when seen at the Summer League, and says that he has learned from past mistakes and has vowed to change his approach and attitude. In fact, he stated that his ego is “dead”. And the Lakers, under a new regime (owner Jeanie Buss and GM Rob Pelinka) this time, are reportedly willing to give him a second chance.

If healthy and engaged, he would give the team a big body, rim protector, and rebounder, even at this stage of his career. If he could come close to his defensive levels in Orlando, it would benefit the Lakers greatly. He is on a team where offense won’t be needed from him a great deal, but he would be a potential lob threat.

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#2 Joakim Noah

Noah showed some of the fire and passion in his game that fueled his prime All-Star years with the Chicago Bulls.

After being phased out and banished from the New York Knicks for the better part of two seasons, Joakim Noah signed with the Memphis Grizzlies as a free agent in December of last season. When he was there, he showed some of the fire and passion in his game that fueled his prime All-Star years with the Chicago Bulls. His rebounding, passing, and defense were back on display.

Noah will occasionally hit a jumper, but most of his offense comes from putbacks and cuts to the rim. In 42 games, he averaged 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 16.5 minutes. At 34 years old, and with a history of foot and shoulder injuries, among other things, his days as a starter are almost certainly over, and he is best served in limited doses off the bench. But he could still be a valuable role player who can still impact the game. He would capably fill in the defensive reserve big man role that Tyson Chandler (now a Houston Rocket) played for the Lakers last season.

It would be an interesting dynamic to see Noah end up on the same team with LeBron James. The two have had numerous intense battles verbally and on the court in matchups between the Bulls and Cavaliers, as well as the Bulls and Heat.

#3 Kenneth Faried

The Manimal had a resurgence with the Rockets before eventually falling out of the rotation.

Faried was phased out of the rotation steadily in his last few years with the Nuggets, and when he signed with the Nets, he was banished almost completely to the bench. He had a resurgence with the Rockets, largely as an undersized center. He reclaimed some of the rebounding and boundless energy of his “Manimal” days.

Putbacks, dunks, and cuts to the rim are still his primary sources of scoring, but he showed some improved offense. In just 24.4 minutes, he averaged 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds on 58.7% shooting from the field. He even stepped out to the 3-point line every now and then (8 for 25 from beyond the arc).

D’Antoni is notorious for shortening his rotation in the playoffs to 7 to 8 players, and Faried was a casualty of that annual tradition. In fact, grizzled veteran Nene moved ahead of Faried in the rotation for the Warriors series, which is odd considering Faried would fit more against the small lineups.

Despite his athleticism, he is not really a shot-blocker, and concerns about his defense and lack of offensive skills led to his benching in Denver and Brooklyn. But going by his last stint with the Rockets, there is not any reason why he should not be signed somewhere. He also figures to have some more productive years left, on the cusp of turning 30 years old. At 6-8, he is more of a power forward than center, but he can match up with smaller bigs such as Montrezl Harrell and Draymond Green.

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Other notable names: Nene, Zaza Pachulia, Mo Speights, Tyler Zeller, Marcin Gortat, Amir Johnson, Eric Moreland

It will be interesting to see the decision that the Lakers make in the coming weeks before training camp. Will they ride out with the current roster and see how it goes to start the season, or will they add more size to fill the void? If the former happens, the Lakers could run a lot of small ball with only one true center on the active roster (McGee), with the likes of Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, and even possibly LeBron James seeing minutes at the 5.

Swingmen Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would then see time at small forward too. But given that the Lakers have been linked to Dwight Howard, Kenneth Faried, Joakim Noah, Mo Speights, and Marcin Gortat, and are planning workouts with a few of those players, it is evident that they will attempt to fill that hole sooner rather than later.