The injury that Los Angeles Lakers superstar big man Anthony Davis suffered could not have come at a worse time. The Lakers are one of the many teams dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak in the league, placing numerous players in the league’s protocols.
Los Angeles had six players in the protocol before Davis was injured. Shorthanded, they will now be looking to patch together a lineup, but that will be easier said than done. Not only are the Lakers lacking some depth, but their head coach Frank Vogel is also in the protocol.
Signing free agents is tougher right now than it has ever been with the number of transactions being made so that teams have enough players to avoid postponements. Trades are another avenue the Lakers could explore, but that is a tough road to go down.
Without many tradable assets or draft capital, building competitive packages will be a tall task for Rob Pelinka. Over at CBS Sports, a list was compiled of players that the Lakers could target to help upgrade their center spot with Davis in the mix. One player mentioned was New York Knicks center, Mitchell Robinson.
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Prying Robinson from New York, despite his recent removal from the starting five, would likely take more than what the Lakers have to offer. Even if the New York Knicks don’t have a long-term plan that includes Robinson, they know they can get more than a few second-round picks and minimum contracts that Los Angeles could build a package around.
Robinson has had some struggles this season, as he adjusts to the weight he put on in the offseason. But, when on top of his game, he is an elite rim protector and difference-maker defensively.
As an improving rebounder, Robinson controls the paint whenever he is in the game. He would be a massive upgrade over DeAndre Jordan, who has been reinserted into the rotation, following Dwight Howard landing in protocols, after being demoted from the starting lineup himself.
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Robinson would provide the Los Angeles Lakers with some much-needed athleticism in the frontcourt, providing their guards with a legitimate lob threat in the middle. However, his offensive repertoire is limited to put-backs and dunks. That would not help with the spacing issues Los Angeles already has with Russell Westbrook and Davis sharing the court with a traditional center.
But, for a team looking to make a deep run in the postseason, checking into the availability of someone such as Mitchell Robinson makes sense. While he may not play every game, he would provide Vogel with a security blanket for when the team has to play bigger lineups.
