These 5 moves will make the Los Angeles Lakers title contenders again.

After a tumultuous season which was ravaged by injuries, the LA Lakers fell in 6 games to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the Playoffs. On paper you could say the Lakers did well, since they were a 7 seed playing against a 2 seed, but in reality we all know different. 

The only reason the Lakers weren’t a top 3 seed in the West this year was because LeBron James and Anthony Davis missed a significant amount of games, at the same time. The Lakers were 22-7 before Davis went down and LeBron was the legitimate front-runner for the MVP. The Lakers then went 20-23 for the rest of the season as they also lost LeBron to an ankle injury.

Entering the Playoffs, we didn’t really know what was going to happen with the Lakers. We knew that they had the talent with the likes of Davis and LBJ, but had they had enough time to build chemistry given how many games the 2 stars had missed? 

The Lakers did manage to go up 2-1 vs the Suns, mainly thanks to an injury to Chris Paul and 2 massive games from AD, but when he went down in Game 4 it was game over. The Suns promptly won the next 3 games to book their ticket to the next round.

This is a very disappointing season for the Lakers, who were hoping to win their 2nd title in as many years. They should bounce back though, since the main reason they are now on vacation is because of injuries. However, they do need to make some significant moves this offseason if they are to get back to the Finals next season.

Here are the top 5 moves the Lakers need to do this summer.

5. Persuade Anthony Davis to play at Center

Anthony Davis has openly said he prefers to play at power-forward, but the stats say he should play at center. During last season’s Playoffs (when AD was the 2nd best player in the world) he spent 60% of his minutes at Center. He was +11.7 in +/- per 100 possessions for the Lakers. Against the Suns this year, he spent 80% of his minutes at power-forward, and was -6.1 in +/- per 100 possessions for his team.

Davis is now strong enough to defend big, strong centers like Joel Embiid, but agile and nimble enough to defend guards when switched on up top. On offense, Davis at center means putting him in the pick-and-roll a lot, something that is extremely hard to deal with given his finishing ability, athleticism and shooting touch. It also increases the pace the Lakers play at, something that will help them going forward.

I think Davis wants to play at power-forward because then he can shoot from the outside more, dribble and not expend as much energy guarding tower 7-footers. Regardless of his wishes, the Lakers must sit Davis down this summer and show him the evidence that playing at center is the best option for the Lakers going forward.

4. Part ways with Andre Drummond and Kyle Kuzma

With Davis (hopefully) playing at center, this makes Andre Drummond superfluous to requirements. Drummond cannot play another position, he is a center through and through. Unless Drummond is willing to take a MASSIVE pay-cut and come off the bench, the Lakers need to part ways with him.

Kyle Kuzma has sadly been a disappointment over the past few seasons. After averaging 18.7 PPG in his second season, many (myself included) thought he could progress on and potentially become an All-Star, but that hasn’t happened. His shooting is not good enough given what the Lakers need (career 33.8% from 3) and his defense is sub-par as well. The Lakers owe him $39 million over the next 3 years, money that could be better spent elsewhere.

3. Keep Dennis Schroeder, Montrezl Harrell and Alex Caruso.

The Lakers need a ball-handler to take pressure off LeBron, and Dennis Schroder is great at doing so. He averaged 15.4 PPG and 5.8 APG this season and plays good defense. He is a free-agent this summer, and although he turned down a 4-year/$84 million extension with the Lakers, he has expressly stated he wants to stay in LA.

“I’m going to work my ass off to come back here to give everything because we owe them fans one and I want to win a championship”. Schroder said this after the Game 6 loss to the Suns, and he really meant it. Having someone that determined on your roster is great for pushing your teammates to give their all during games and in practices.

Caruso is a great 3-and-D player. He shot 40.1% from 3 last season, is known for his defense and has the athleticism to get a crowd off its feet. Staples Center needs a player like Caruso to rally around each home game, and he fits in with the uptempo style the Lakers should be playing with.

Harrell is an amazing 6th man, someone who can come off your bench and immediately give you energy and quality playing time. He averaged 13.5 PPG on 62.2% from the field last season, and he is only owed $9.7 million next season, if the Lakers can persuade him to take his player option. 

2. Sign more shooters

The Lakers really, REALLY need more 3-point shooting in their arsenal. They were 21st in team 3P% last season (35.4%) and were only 25th in 3PM/G at 11.1. Without good shooting to space the floor, LeBron and Davis can’t be at their best.

As mentioned above, Davis in the pick and roll is devastating. What would make it even more dangerous would be to have excellent shooting. This stops weak-side defenders from being able to rotate off their man, lest they give up a wide-open corner 3.

Shooting is one of the most valuable skills you can have, and the Lakers need to go out and get as much of it as possible.

1. Don’t let LeBron play more than 30 MPG

Sorry all you LeBron fans out there; LeBron James, after over a decade on top, is no longer the best basketball player in the world. He’s been number 1 for so long that I can’t remember a time he wasn’t king of the mountain.

However, time catches up with us all, and LeBron appears to be finally slowing down, after 18 seasons in the league. James will be 37 at the end of next season, and even if he keeps spending millions on his body to increase its longevity.

Giving LeBron plenty of rest throughout next season will minimise the chance of another serious injury and allow James to give 100% in those few minutes, rather than having to coast for prolonged periods of time. 

The more rest LeBron has, the more his body will be ready for the Playoffs AND the more minutes he’ll be able to play in those crucial games.

The Lakers will be a favourite to win the title again next season, if they pull off all of the above moves, they will be in a great position to do so.