The Los Angeles Lakers thought they had balance and depth in their roster. Moreover, the team and the fans considered the LA side a contender to win the title this season. After all, the front office executed their plans really well in the offseason. They were able to keep the core together. Moreover, the LA side was also able to add some new names to the roster. These new additions, like Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince, brought balance and depth indeed.
However, the Laker’s luck has been testing their depth and balance since the very start of the current season. In the preseason, the Purple and Gold lost Jarred Vanderbilt owing to a heel bursitis injury. Later, the Injured List kept getting longer as the season progressed. Hence, there are a lot of rumors regarding the front office looking for reinforcements. Now, the question is which free agent can the Lakers hope to land in the current market.
Can Lakers Hope To Sign 11-Year Veteran Will Barton?
On November 28, Barton is still in free agency. He last played for the Washington Wizards as well as the Toronto Raptors in the last season. Moreover, Will Barton is 32 years old at present. In 56 games last season, the veteran had an average of 6.8 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per contest, along with 2.0 assists per game. Adding to that, from the field, he shot 37.9% and shot 36.7% three-pointers. Clearly, Barton is not at his prime anymore. Anyhow, he has a lot of experience in playing the role of a role player on top teams. In his career of 11 seasons, he has made it to the playoffs on four occasions.
Moreover, he averaged 11.5 points per game in the playoffs. On top of that, Will Barton has experience of playing alongside superstars like Nikola Jokic and Damian Lillard. Anyway, in his long career, Barton has proved that he is pretty good at shooting three-pointers, and he is also a solid defensive player. He has shot 35.5% three-pointers in his career. Hence, the Lakers can try to sign the veteran for a short-term deal. Barton is eligible for a ten-day deal. But he can prove to be really useful for the Lakers this season.
LeBron James And Anthony Davis Could Not Prevent The Catastrophe Against The 76ers
The 17-time champions could not maintain a long winning streak in the current season so far. They were able to have a couple of three-game winning streak. But they also had a three-game losing streak. However, one positive aspect of the current season has been the form of the top two stars of the team. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have played really well in the season so far.
However, it seems like the Lakers are relying heavily on LBJ and AD. And the Lakers recently got a wake-up call during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid and his army blew the LA side away today. It was humiliating for the Lakers because the margin was 44 points. Moreover, the 76ers won 138-94. Both AD and LBJ tried their best, but it just was not enough.
