Does the Lakers’ Lack of a Third Star Make the ‘Next Man Up’ Impossible?
Frank Vogel declaring the Lakers’ top ranked defense or deep and talented roster is their third star makes for a great sound bite but the truth is none of the team’s role players have the skillset or mindset to be the ‘ Next Man Up.’
In the end, the Lakers’ opportunity to repeat as champs may fail due to their lack one or more players with star potential willing to accept a lessor role to win a ring but capable of taking their game to another level when needed. Robert Horry, Dennis Rodman, Tony Parker, Andre Iguodala, Rajon Rondo. Players who can step up and play like a star and save the day. Players who become stars given the opportunity. That’s what the Lakers are missing.
Playoff Rondo is now playing for the Clippers. Maybe Kenny will suddenly find his mojo again and we’ll see Playoff KCP or maybe Kuz will wake from his funk and finally deliver the promise he showed early. Maybe. Maybe.
The injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis have exposed the Lakers’ Achilles heel, which is they are overly reliant upon their two superstars and do not have any other players on the roster capable of rising to the occasion.
No disrespect but Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Alex Caruso, Wesley Matthews, Markieff Morris, Marc Gasol, Talen Horton-Tucker, or Andre Drummond are not potential stars. They’re a collection of flawed role players whose skills and abilities are expanded and magnified playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis but diminished and limited when forced to play outside their roles.
That was painfully obvious watching the Lakers lose to the Bucks last night. While they might be able to pull out a win here or there against a team like the Cavs or Magic, they have no chance of beating a team with a superstar. Unless one of their role players suddenly transforms into a star or the team miraculously clicks and synergy overpowers reality, the Lakers are headed for 7th or 8th in the West at best and a ticket to the Play-In Tournament.
Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell can create energy and get you points but they’re not what the Lakers need offensively at point guard or defensively at center. They’re short term solutions that will likely move on this summer. Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope were hoped to be long term parts of the puzzle but are looking more and more like trading chips the Lakers will be forced to cash in this summer to solve their problems at point guard and center.
Defensive stalwart Caruso and budding star Horton-Tucker will both be free agents looking for raises this summer. Both are fan favorites whom the Lakers have rights and are expected to go over the cap to retain on the roster. Then there are Gasol and Mathews, both of whom are older veterans who have struggled to live up expectations but have little value as trading chips and are likely to be odd men out come the stretch run and the playoffs.
The Lakers deep and talented roster is a mirage that disappears without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. There’s simply nobody on the roster who can be counted upon to take his game to the next level with needed.
Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka, Frank Vogel, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Laker players to a man still believe they can still win the championship regardless of where they’re seed or who the opposition turns out to be.
The Lakers hoped Andre Drummond might be third star they’ll need should they make it to the NBA Finals and get an opportunity to play the Nets and their Superstar Big Three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. Based on what we saw last night against the Bucks, it looks like Drummond won’t be the third star the Lakers were hoping and praying would solve their rim protection and low post scoring woes until LeBron and AD return.
That’s disappointing but not unexpected. The Los Angeles Lakers’ front office apparently believes all the team needs to repeat is for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to be healthy and ready to play in time for the playoffs. The problem is this is not last year in the bubble where the Lakers luckily avoiding playing the Clippers and Bucks, their top two competitors. The Lakers will likely face a playoff quarter of the Suns, Clippers, Jazz, and Nets.
The Lakers had a chance to trade some of their role player depth and talent to add a second tier star like Kyle Lowry or Victor Oladipo to their roster but opted instead to gamble that Andre Drummond could be that third star. While the Lakers bet on Andre Drummond, the Nets added Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, the Clippers Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins, the Heat Victor Oladipo and Trevor Ariza, and the Nuggets Aaron Gordon.
The Lakers have one roster spot left and would be smart to be patient and use it on a player who could be a difference maker, who could be that third star they need to run the playoff gauntlet and match up with Brooklyn.
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