The Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves struggling to replicate the success they had in 2020 which resulted in an NBA championship. A large reason for that is the lack of frontcourt depth behind center Anthony Davis, to the displeasure of the nine-time All-Star.
Lakers’ Anthony Davis wants more center depth on the team
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Davis made it clear that he wants a stronger center room on this Lakers team with the hope that adding another big will enhance their depth significantly:
“One thing Davis has made clear to the Lakers, sources told ESPN, is his preference to play alongside another big more often,” McMenamin wrote.
The Lakers have lacked center depth for some time
The Lakers have few options at center behind Davis, as Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood make up the team’s depth at the position. Wood is expected to miss the start of the season after undergoing knee surgery, leaving the undersized Jarred Vanderbilt as the team’s only other option at center to start the season.
The Lakers’ center room has not been great since the championship-winning season, as guys like Thomas Bryant, Mo Bamba, and Damian Jones have been some of their centers over the years along with the current group. LeBron James has even seen some action at the five since then.
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The Lakers have to address important areas of need to be contenders again
Interestingly, the Lakers were more heavily involved in the market for backcourt depth as opposed to addressing the frontcourt. They nearly signed DeMar DeRozan before he signed with the Sacramento Kings, and they were linked to Paul George before he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
It is clear that the Lakers are still trying to identify their biggest needs if they want to return to the Finals. James is entering his age 40 season, and even though the all-time scoring leader seems like he’ll never age, the reality is that his time in the league is almost up.
Therefore, if the Lakers want to make the most out of what they still have, they should consider listening to Davis’ concerns and look to address the areas necessary to build a championship roster. Wood’s injury could force Los Angeles to at least monitor available centers and potentially make a move for one, but that remains to be seen.
The organization hasn’t been particularly known to make splash moves in recent years, as they were silent during last season’s trade deadline. That could very well change real soon after one of their top players has spoken up about his desires for the betterment of the team.
