Why The Los Angeles Lakers Do The Deal
Sure. Why not? Is this a perfect fit? No. We just saw James struggle to co-exist with a poor shooting, ball-dominant start. His time alongside Russell Westbrook is one that his fans will look to forget.
At the same time, DeRozan has better on-court judgment than Westbrook. He and James should be able to make this work. It may not be pretty at first, but there’s too much-combined basketball intelligence between them for them not to hit some kind of stride.
More than anything, this is a home run swing. James, DeRozan, and Anthony Davis would be one of the best trios in the NBA. The Lakers need to see if this works. It’s time to bring DeRozan home.
DeRozan is a capable shot creator who can create from short/mid-range at a high level. How he does it is most intriguing. He is an underrated threat in generating offense out of post-ups and can play out of pick-and-rolls or isolation in ways most role players are unable.
With his ability to handle the ball and make plays, DeRozan could also alleviate some of the playmaking burdens from James and provide additional options for the Lakers’ offense. This could be very valuable given how taxing a long playoff run was for James.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Having another major initiation threat on a team with injury-prone stars creates some insulation to possible risk throughout an 82-game season to help avoid the Lakers facing a situation where a slow start digs a hole in the Western Conference standings.
