It’s not been a great start for the Luka Doncic era at the Los Angeles Lakers. They’re 1-2 in three, despite all three games being against sub-500 teams. Things haven’t gotten better after the All-Star break, with the team slipping to a disappointing loss to the 14-39 Charlotte Hornets. They found a way to lose the game even after leading by as much as 13 points at one stage.
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The 97-100 loss to the Hornets showed two things: the Lakers’ lack of center depth continues to be an issue, and their defense is a clear weakness. Bringing in Alex Len has not made much of a difference, reiterated Shannon Sharpe while describing the ongoing Lakers woes. In his short two-game sample size with the team, his defensive liabilities have been highlighted by the opponents easily.
What offset things for the Lakers was how Mark Williams failed in his physical and the trade was rescinded. The only option the team was left with to bolster their frontcourt depth was through the buyout market, and they went with Len. But Sharpe has a solution.
The NFL legend believes bringing back Dwight Howard is the best course of action to mitigate the team’s current struggles. Unc Shay Shay discussed the same with Chad ‘Ocho Cinco’ Johnson on NightCap.
“They really don’t have rim protection. Look, I understand they needed a big, but it’s hard for me to believe that Alex Len is a better big right now, even at Dwight Howard’s age of 39,” said Shannon. However, he was then quick to also point out Howard’s limitations.
Sharpe made it clear that he didn’t expect Howard to emulate his former MVP self, like he was with Orlando or even his All-Star self, like he was with the Rockets. “I’m not saying Dwight Howard is Orlando Dwight Howard. I’m not saying he’s Houston Rockets Dwight Howard.” Instead, he envisioned the three-time Defensive Player of the Year to provide serviceable minutes off the bench along with adequate defense.
Sounds great, but there’s a problem. The Lakers no longer have the space to add another big to their bench. They currently have 18 players on their roster and need to narrow down the number to 15 before playoffs arrive.
Len has not given the Lakers what they hoped for
It is easy to overreact after two games, but the Len experience has been traumatic. The Lakers are already a poor defensively constructed team, to begin with. Len’s defensive woes have compounded the problem.
In his Lakers debut, he finished with a net rating of -9 in a loss against the Utah Jazz. He played only 10 minutes against the Hornets and finished with a net rating of +10. Although that seems great, he didn’t have much impact on the game itself, tallying just one rebound.
The only way the Lakers can improve their roster is if they let go of someone. Mo Bamba is a big man on the market that the Lakers could look to bring in for a 10-day contract. All their roster spots are currently filled. Aside from Jaxson Hayes, who isn’t an ideal starting center, they don’t have any reliable depth at the center position.
