The Lakers are 22-11 right now, a very respectable record, good for third in the West. But anyone who has watched at least a few Lakers games could probably tell you that in this current form, this doesn’t seem like a championship-caliber team.
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The Lakers have mostly feasted on mediocre and bad teams, but when confronted with real contenders, they’ve been blown out. The Pistons beat them by 22. The Rockets beat them by 23. The Celtics beat them by 21, and the Thunder hammered them by 29. Even the Suns have beaten them in two of three, by a cumulative total of 39 points.
Every single loss the Lakers have endured this year has been by double digits. That’s truly alarming and a testament to just how suspect their defense is. They can’t keep it close against quality teams. As such (and for the simple fact that they’re the Lakers), L.A. has been at the center of trade rumors with the deadline exactly a month away.
One of the players suggested as a potential Laker is Dillon Brooks, who would be a truly wild addition to the team given the antagonistic history he has with LeBron James. On the No Fouls Given podcast, Danny Green and Paul Pierce shared their thoughts on a possible deal centered around Brooks and Rui Hachimura.
“I like Dillon, I like what he’s done this year, I like where he’s at in that group,” Green said. “I don’t like L.A. for him, or being teammates with LeBron.”
Green believes Brooks and LeBron could co-exist, but he didn’t want to see the newfound rivalry between the Suns and Lakers be dampened by having LeBron’s nemesis join him. He also didn’t think Brooks could make as big an impact in L.A. as he’s had in Phoenix.
“I think it does help the Lakers, but not in the grand scheme of things,” said Green. “When Austin comes back, when Luka’s fine, all three of them, Dillon’s not gonna be doing what he does in Phoenix, [in L.A.].”
Pierce is not down with a Brooks for Hachimura trade
Pierce was less diplomatic on why he hated the idea of a Brooks-Hachimura trade. “If the Lakers were to make this move,” he said after taking a deep breath.
“If I’m the new ownership, I would reevaluate my front office, because this is not a great fit. First of all, Rui is a bigger player, and you need more size. I love Dillon Brooks, what he brings, but he doesn’t fit in the scheme of things,” added Pierce, who also said, and correctly so, that the Lakers need to get more athletic and younger.
Brooks can add some much-needed toughness to this roster, but even as he has improved his offensive game this year, he’s still a grind-it-out kind of player and not someone who can beat you down the court or jump out of the gym. He, at 29 years, is also two years older than Hachimura.
If the Lakers are serious about acquiring Brooks, Pierce advocated for a much more shocking move. “Does this trade make sense if you trade Austin Reaves for Dillon Brooks?” he asked.
Both Green and Wosny Lambre hated that idea because of the great season Reaves has had. But Pierce made the case anyway. “Sometimes less is more,” he said.
“Because if you’re saying LeBron can still give you the 23, 24 a game, now you don’t have three defensive liabilities out there. Reaves, LeBron, and Luka — all defensive liabilities. Now you eliminate one, and you [have] got a guy who can play defense, and he can knock down shots and bring swag to your team. That’s the only way that makes sense, if you trade him for Reaves,” added Pierce.
That would be a fascinating deal, and chemistry issues aside, it isn’t as lopsided as it appears to be. Reaves has played at an All-Star level, but Brooks deserves credit for helping change the culture in Phoenix. That’s something the Lakers desperately need.
JJ Redick is constantly bemoaning their lack of toughness. And, unless Luka, LeBron, and Reaves can pour in 90 points a night, there doesn’t seem to be a solution for how they can get over the hump.
The Lakers are always looking to win now, but they also need to operate with a post-LeBron future in mind. That might make them reticent to trade a guy like Reaves, who is only getting better, has great chemistry with Luka, and is still only 27.
For the Suns, they may not want to upset the apple cart on what has been a shockingly successful season, especially after they just knocked off the Thunder on Sunday.
There’s also a non-zero chance that trading for Brooks would end with him and LeBron killing each other, or LeBron deciding that now is the time to leave L.A. behind. The Lakers haven’t played like title contenders. But if Luka, LeBron, and Reaves are healthy come playoff time, they at least have a puncher’s chance to beat anyone. Trading for Brooks, who is actually shooting much worse from 3-point range despite increasing his scoring, has a better chance to hurt than help.
