Quote (poosie @ Jul 31 2021 05:00pm)
not like the lakers gave up much in kuz and harrell. but westbrick doesnt solve the lakers problems which is lack of shooters.
westbrook will allow lebron to rest during the regular season and he can be a good secondary playmaker with the second unit when lebron sits. kinda like rondo's role in 2020.
I agree. The fit isn’t great.
The trade for harrell + kuzma for hield was a better fit.
Plus their current point guard has value in the trade market.
At this point in his career. It would likely be more beneficial to move lebron to full time point and let his basketball IQ take over the game more, as opposed to his physical skills.
Thus you could trade their current point guard for another shooting asset, and have a starting lineup of AD, lebron, Hield, shooting asset, and either a 4 or 5, depending on how AD wants to play.
You have two Swiss army knifes in AD + lebron. You have 2 good shooters in hield + the shooting asset. You have size in AD + lebron + the other 4 or 5. You have play making ability in Lebron. You have two big slightly above average shooters in AD and lebron. Overal the roster construction would be skgnicnalry better.
I don’t see how this is a team made for success. But it’s tbd if the high IQ of lebron rubs off on Westbrook. Which is really Westbrook’s only downside, he can be a bull in a china shop.
If lebron can teach him efficiency, Westbrook’s typical usage rate should go down, with shooting % going up. As a large portion of Westbrook’s poor shooting % is just from bad decisions.
If Westbrook could average a 16 point triple double ish, he could be a good fit. So long as to assume the 7ish average point drop comes from a lower usage rate but higher shooting %. This would “give bAck” about 7-8 possessions per game. Assuming a 1.2 point per possession average, you are looking at roughly 10 extra points per game from taking away Westbrook’s bad decision making.