The Los Angeles Lakers have a very important decision to make, and its one that will determine the future of the franchise. What is that decision? It is the decision to either retain Kobe Bryant or trade him. As of right now, the Lakers are in the process of hiring a new head coach who will help to shape the roster, and perhaps help them determine the direction they will go in the coming years.
Honestly, the biggest problem facing the Lakers this off-season is the fact that they don’t have a new arena for the team to play in. This is not the first time the Lakers have been forced to play in a temporary so-called “stadium” in an effort to keep the team in Los Angeles, the last time it happened the team was affectionately called the “Lakers by the Sea.” The last time the team was in this situation the team was in the playoffs, and the Lakers won the NBA Championship that year.
With training camp fast approaching, the Los Angeles Lakers have a big problem looming, one that they’ll have to solve before they can even think about winning a championship or reaching a deep playoff run. That problem is a lack of a starting-caliber point guard.. Read more about lakers rumors 2021 and let us know what you think.
By acquiring Russell Westbrook, the Los Angeles Lakers have taken a significant step toward regaining championship contention. They then surrounded the LeBron James-Anthony Davis-Russell Westbrook combination with shooters and a slew of experienced minimum signings. Dwight Howard, the Lakers’ big man, was also welcomed back for a third time. However, their frontcourt depth may be more shaky than they first believed. Marc Gasol, the center, is allegedly reconsidering his decision to return this season.
In November 2020, the former Defensive Player of the Year agreed to a two-year contract with the Lakers. That was a return to the club that had selected him in 2007 and for whom his elder brother, Pau, had previously played (and won two titles). Gasol started 42 games last season, but he also missed 20 and only played 19.1 minutes per game on average.
Marc Gasol wasn’t a key part of the Lakers’ offense.
In his limited minutes, Marc Gasol was expected to stretch the floor, a talent he picked somewhat later in his career. Gasol was efficient, hitting 41.0 percent of his 2.3 3-point attempts per game. In the playoffs, though, his playing time decreased. He sat out Game 1 of their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns before starting the following four games off the bench. In Game 6, his lone start in the series, he had 0 points, three rebounds, and seven assists in 18 minutes.
After establishing a 2–1 lead against the eventual Western Conference winners in Game 6, the Lakers lost three consecutive games to finish their season.
In 2019, Gasol earned a ring with the Toronto Raptors, but his position with the team shrank in 2019-20. With the relocation to LA, it shrank much further. He joined up with Pau for the Spanish national team’s last run at the Tokyo Olympics. Gasol led Team USA to a quarterfinal victory against Spain, averaging 5.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 18.6 minutes per game.
In Tokyo, Gasol seemed optimistic about a comeback.
On February 20, 2021, Marc Gasol (14) of the Los Angeles Lakers defends the ball against the Miami Heat at Staples Center. Gasol is allegedly reconsidering his decision to return to the Lakers this season. | Getty Images/Meg Oliphant
Pau and Marc Gasol declared their retirement from international competition after Spain’s elimination from the Tokyo Olympics. Marc Gasol confirmed his return to the Lakers for the last season of his deal, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Marc Stein, on the other hand, had a different take in his Substack column. Gasol’s presence in Los Angeles this season is no longer a given, according to Stein.
“I’m hearing Marc Gasol isn’t a lock to return to the Lakers, despite Gasol’s statement after Spain’s Olympic quarterfinal defeat to the United States that he wants to finish the two-year contract he signed with Los Angeles. It’s unclear if this implies Gasol will be free to play elsewhere in the NBA or, like his brother Pau, would choose to end his career in his homeland.”
Last season, the 40-year-old Pau Gasol played for FC Barcelona in 16 games in the local ACB league and seven Euroleague games.
Without Marc Gasol, the Lakers may have a size issue.
Howard would be the lone center on the roster if Marc Gasol chooses not to return to the Lakers. LA does have Davis, who has plenty of experience at the 5, but it’s not a position he enjoys.
Andre Drummond signed with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agency. Meanwhile, Kostas Antetokounmpo finished his two-way contract with the Lakers and agreed to join Tony Parker’s ASVEL Villeurbanne in France on a two-year agreement.
Because the Lakers would not — gasp! — sign a young player, experienced big guys are still available. However, the options are limited. In 2019–20, DeMarcus Cousins did not play for the Lakers while on the roster. Bismack Biyombo, Meyers Leonard, and former Laker Ed Davis are among the other players available.
Cousins was an afterthought for the Los Angeles Clippers in the playoffs, Biyombo can only block shots and is on the wrong side of 30 (or the right side, considering it’s the Lakers), and Davis is on the wrong side of 30 (or the right side, given it’s the Lakers). Over the past two seasons, he has only played 51 games and a little more than 600 minutes.
The Lakers seem to have been constructed to play small a lot this season, with James, Davis, Westbrook, and shooters. However, without Marc Gasol, they may be susceptible against teams with size.
Basketball Reference, RealGM, and FIBA provided the statistics.
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The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off their worst season in years. It officially officially ended when they were eliminated by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers finished the season with a 38-44 record. If you’re not familiar with the Lakers, they’re one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. Since joining the league in 1960, they’ve captured 9 championships, the most of any franchise in the league. They’ve also made it to the NBA Finals 30 times, more than any other team.. Read more about targets for the lakers and let us know what you think.
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