Lakers all walk around LeBron James and Luka Dončić pairing

On By Littum

Los Angeles – For several months there had been uncertainty about Los Angeles Lakers’ direction at the trade deadline for February 6.

Would they invest their draft capital to improve around LeBron James-Anthony Davis pairing? Or would they stand Pat and prioritize the future? Maybe they would split the difference with a half goal to at least say they were trying?

In the past week, Lakers did things Crystal Clear: They’ve officially gone all-in this season and Luka Dončić-Lebron duo.

Following this league-cutting trade, Los Angeles had a shining hole in the middle with Jaxson Hayes planned to start and forward Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith, who backed him up as petty-balltops.

After tempering the expectations of caliber of the center they could acquire before the trade deadline, Lakers traded for Mark Williams to strengthen their starting lineup late Wednesday. In return, they sent Charlotte Hornets-Rokie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, their 2031 first round pick and a 2030 first round of pick swap.

Now the 23-year-old, 7-foot Williams will step into a central starting point, with Haye’s appropriately split as a situational copying. The trade was another aggressive step from Lakers.

“We have said all the time that we were willing to use our choice if the right opportunity came,” Laker’s Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka told a small group of journalists in front of Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors Thursday. “And I think we feel we have two top-five, top-10 players in the world on our team right now. And then just this as an opportunity to give these two players all the resources they need to make an endgame. “

Just as important, trade is an early indication of Dončić that Lakers is invested in their partnership trying to compete for championships as soon as possible and willing to acquire the type of players he is desire.

Monday, his first day at Lakers’ practice facility, Dončić met with Pelinka in his office overlooking the practice of practice. The two discussed Lakers’ list and the group’s short and long-lasting vision. Don 3.

The next day, Lakers held the initial news conference for Dončić. Towards the end, Pelinka said Lakers was still looking for a center, but that the market was “dry” and the team considered a smaller feature along the margins. These comments got several teams to contact Pelinka, including Hornets.

Williams had not been a popular name in trade rumors because many, including Lakers, considered him a core piece of Hornets’ future with Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller. But Hornets, who felt an opportunity to try to get Dalton Knecht, a player they liked and considered as high as No. 6 in the 2024 NBA draft, decided to make Williams available at a steep price.

Lakers decided that Williams fits Dončić’s timeline and game style, as well as trainer JJ Redick’s offensive system and made a bold offer. About 36 hours after Pelinka’s conversation with Dončić acquired Los Angeles the type of big he wanted.

“Maybe it’s in some sense as the LA housing market,” Pelinka said. “Not every house is built. And sometimes you become aware of something available that is not on the market. And when you see the perfect house, you are willing to get it even if you have to be aggressive to do it. “

This season, Williams is an average of 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, shooting 58.6 percent overall and 78.0 percent on free throw over 23 games. He has been even better recently during a career-best stretch, an average of 19.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 blocks of 54.9 percent shooting over his last 11 games.

Williams’ 9-foot-9 standing range-the highest ever registered in NBA drafts, combines history and two centimeters better than Victor Wembanyamas and athletics gives him one of the best trades in the league. He average almost three dunks per day. Fight and a little over an alley-oop finish per. Match. He will party on lob options, dump-off dishes and pocket passes from Dončić, James and Austin Reaves.


Mark Williams defends LeBron James in a game earlier this season. (Jim Dedmon / Imag- Pictures)

His primary role offensively is to screen, scroll, rhyme-run and go down into the offensive glass, where his length and verticalness make him effective with setbacks and tap-out. The third-year center also has a mentor-mentee relationship with Redick with the two bonds over their Duke connection.

“I think Luka can play a number of ways,” Redick said. “It would be very advantageous for us to have several centers that can cause a vertical threat, and we feel that Mark … gives the vertical threat.”

As Lakers (30-19) Jockey for Position in the West, Williams balances their rotation and gives them a respectable center against the conference’s top Store.

“He fits the perfect archetype,” Pelinka said. “There are many teams in the West that have formidable size that are around the position with us, Memphis and Houston and OKC. And we just felt we had to tackle it and we felt we got the perfect guy. “

The two biggest concerns with Williams are his defense and his injury history.

Despite an average of more than one block per Fight and take advantage of his massive frame and length well, he is a sub-average border protector. He allows opponents to shoot 68.1 percent at the edge – a number worse than Rui Hachimura’s 67.1 percent. He has high hips and long legs so he can fight to move quickly in the side direction and recover when he was knocked by the dribbling. He is strong and robust, but the strongest and most physical centers can move him in the position.

“I think we as staff have a job to do with developing him as a screener, decision maker in his pocket and at the defensive end,” Redick said. “But we are sure of his character, work ethics, IQ, that he will be a really good player for us.”

He has never played more than 43 games in one season (he played in 23 of Hornets ’48 games this season). He has missed considerable time with foot, ankle and back injuries, although lakers are not worried that any of these problems will hang.

“We fully monitored his health things. … He has not had any operations, ”said Pelinka. “So this is just parts of, he still grows into the body.”

Given the state of the center market – both the lack of opportunities and the high prices – and the Alternative was Hayes who continued to start, Lakers made as well as was reasonably possible. And when de factoring, they also managed to add Dončić and Finney-Smith, this deadline is a resounding A-Plus for Pelinka and Front Office.

With this trading deadline, Lakers has vaulted itself into challenge status. They have a championship caliber duo that no team in the West wants to meet in a seven-game series. In a macro sense, they have size, athletics, versatility and enough shooting and finishing to maximize the generational play skills of James and Dončić. The mating is the best in the league and they have not yet walked on the field together as teammates.

Dončić is a top-three player-without doubt a top-to-player-and is unequivocally capable of giving Lakers a chance to win almost any playoff series. James has played his best basketball in the season since the calendar year and will now be able to preserve his offensive workload in a way he does not have this year (if ever). He has a history of managing better during the post season, including as late as last fall.

Apart from Oklahoma City Thunder, who should be the clear favorites at the conference, Lakers has undoubtedly the highest ceiling among the rest of the package. They have two almost insoluble problems to oppose defense in Dončić and James, who have been subjected to any defense and coverage across their combined 29 years of NBA experience and can make every passport and read.

There are definitely shortcomings and concerns with the guard schedule. They have reshaped half of the rotation that has its own learning curve. They have to find out the hierarchy between Dončić and James and to a lesser extent how it affects Reave. They could use more circumference, especially in Backcourt. Williams and Hayes have never been part of a serious playoffs. Williams’ defense restrictions could force Redick to go more often, which could beat back in certain matchups.

But after beating the line between competing in the present and preparing for the future, Lakers has a clear path forward – and most importantly a real chance of competing.

“I look forward to it,” James said. “I can’t wait. Everything I do on the floor (Dončić) just has the ability to do it or even make it better. That’s how big he is. Even at his young age of 25, he is such a unique player, special player, generation talent.

“So I want to be super appreciated to be able to share the floor with him and then see him do his stuff. That will be good. “

(Photo by LeBron James: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)