Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick Address Lakers Rosters’ Need for Depth
Rob Pelinka and the Lakers are preparing to head into one of the most important summers for the franchise in recent years.
The Lakers should be feeling relatively proud of last season. Now, they didn’t win a title, so “satisfied” wouldn’t be the right word, but again, this is a season-by-season process. Last season was yet another building block in returning to championship form. They should feel hopeful, excited, and optimistic about what the next few seasons could look like.
There’s a lot to build off of. During L.A.’s exit interviews, Pelinka referenced the Lakers’ 15-2 stretch in March, where he pointed out the star trio’s ability to work together at a high level.
Pelinka has made it clear publicly that he would like LeBron to return and that the Lakers would like to continue to build around the three stars.
“There’s a lot to be proud of. But certainly nothing that we’re satisfied about. This is a market with championship expectations.” – Rob Pelinka
Depth
Depth was a prominent topic in discussions of Pelinka’s summer roster-construction plans.
“I think if you look around the playoffs right now, depth is really important. Athleticism and youth… we have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it”. – Rob Pelinka
Depth is the way forward in the modern NBA. Long gone are the days of superteams and stacking rosters with top-heavy talent.
The 2020 champion Lakers and champion 2019 Raptors fit this model really well.
The Lakers had the two stars in James and Davis and a loaded supporting cast, including Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Dwight Howard, Danny Green, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Avery Bradley, and Markieff Morris.
“You look at OKC’s roster, you look at San Antonio’s roster, those guys have 13 high-level rotation players minimum. That’s a luxury to have in the NBA“. – Coach JJ Redick
The Lakers must address their depth this offseason if they are to compete with the league’s top teams. The draw of trading for another big-name star sounds exciting in the moment, but a team with reliable role players top to bottom will have the best chance at competing for a title.
It’s safe to assume they’ll be looking to add more center pieces who can rebound and block shots at a high rate, along with more athletic wings who can score and defend the perimeter. There are many pathways to find these players as well—a young prospect in the draft, free agency, or via trade.
Creating a deep roster is crucial and easier said than done. OKC and San Antonio are again proof that the blueprint for the modern NBA is depth, youth, and athleticism.
We’ll see if the Lakers can make the most of their summer and build that blueprint around Doncic.
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