There is something unappealing about following a formula. Perhaps it’s human nature – we all want to put our own stamp on whatever it is we’re doing, even NBA teams.
At the same time, some formulas are tried, tested and true. Put differently, there’s no point in reinventing the wheel. It would be impossible to conceive of a shape that would roll as well as the wheel does.
Similarly, there’s a proven formula for building an NBA team around LeBron James. Get him a co-star or two, and surround them with shooting. Moreover, that co-star should be able to shoot too. After all, James is one of the most dynamic on-ball playmakers in the history of the league. Give him shooters, and you’ll have an elite offense.
Apparently, nobody informed the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve seemingly been testing the limits of that formula from the moment they landed James.
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At first, it worked – the Lakers won the 2019-20 championship with a non-shooting big man alongside the inconsistent shooting Anthony Davis in the frontcourt. On the other hand, pairing James with Russell Westbrook proved to be too difficult to sustain in 2021-22.
Here are three deals that land the Lakers more shooting ahead of 2022-23. Spoiler alert: some of them include Russell Westbrook.
