Los Angeles Lakers

Reports say Dwight Howard may not re-sign. Reports also say that the Lakers are not interested in a sign and trade. The arithmetic is not too hard on this one: reports say the Lakers will be left with nothing. Apr 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) leaves the court after being ejected with two technical fouls against the San Antonio Spurs in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports Sure you can count Nash and his bad back, Kobe and his torn Achilles or Metta World Peace and his children’s book. You can even count Pau Gasol – in the hope that his “black swan” re-emerges, sporting a new pair of “big boy pants.” But really, the Lakers would be left with nothing. Even their over-sized coaching staff has been chopped down. I, for one, don’t think this subtraction would be so bad. Don’t get me wrong, I want the Lakers to win. But I trust in the franchise. The way the current CBA is constructed, the Lakers can’t just “be” and thus win titles. Mistakes will be more permanently damaging. With this CBA, they can’t afford everyone. But they can survive losing Dwight. Here’s the thing. talent-wise, they probably won’t get much better than Dwight Howard – for the future or the present. But this up-coming season might be a write-off already. It’s the cold truth. Bryant shouldn’t rush back. If he arrives as a Christmas present, or even a belated one, I wouldn’t be too concerned. There isn’t much tread left on his career anyway, so he may as well make sure he’s at his most capable for a shorter burst than battling for a longer – but still short in relativity – amount of time. Shed of their leading scorer and Dwight Howard, they figure to be bad. This Lakers core had been good for a while. In the late-2000’s, the Lakers and Celtics both added pieces and became contenders overnight. Those teams had short windows, with Boston’s aging core being even shorter. The team in green now figures to have an ugly rebuild or a stagnant team going nowhere. The purple and gold tried to restock mid-air and crash landed miserably or spectacularly depending on your rooting interests. Rather than hold on to the burning cockpit, the Lakers could see this as an opportunity. The Spurs, finalists again, show an example of how to capitalize on the injury of a star player. Without an injury to David Robinson, Duncan and his five titles may be elsewhere. I’m not advocating tanking, no franchise, let alone the proud Lakers, should ever truly tank. But maybe they luck into a high-lottery pick. That’s an interesting opportunity. It’s also a potentially exciting one. This team could use an injection of youth. It would be fun to have our own talent, developed in-house. It’s what makes Kobe, Magic and Jerry West such deities in the eyes of Laker fans. At the very least it wouldn’t be worse than another Dwight-mare. In truth, what really appeals to me about being left with nothing, is the ability to start afresh. With the books relatively clean in 2014 it’s not about getting LeBron, it’s about getting pieces that fit. They could find pieces that add up to a whole greater than the sum of their parts. The pieces didn’t quite mesh this time. There was too much new and too much old and too much everything. It was a team of excess. With too much ego, too many injuries, too many years on the clock, too many personalities. All put together too soon. Perhaps a sort of minimalism is required. It’s an approach the Lakers have never really taken before. They’ve never needed to. But they have also never existed within the confines of this CBA. I don’t want Dwight to leave. At his best, I think he is the number one center in the league. But if the reports add up, you can’t escape arithmetic. And we should start preparing ourselves mentally in case the reports are true. If they are, we should see the positives. Hopefully, they will be able to revamp the tea

What will the Lakers do if the offseason goes as poorly as possible? Apr 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers injured guard Kobe Bryant watches the final seconds of the Lakers 103-82 loss to the Spurs in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports Here is what would end up being the Lakers worst case scenario for their offseason: Dwight Howard does not re-sign. Kobe Bryant suffers a setback in his rehab, is out for the season or a large part of it. Pau Gasol suffers a setback in his offseason rehab and is forced to play injured all season long. Metta World Peace is amnestied and the Lakers watch him to play for a different team with no replacement. Earl Clark doesn’t re-sign with the Lakers. Now none of these items take into account anything outside the current situation. Kobe is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon and Pau Gasol had offseason surgery on both knees (albeit minor surgery). Dwight Howard and Earl Clark are both free agents. Metta World Peace has a salary that can be amnestied to give the team significant relief from the luxury tax. If all of these things occur, the Lakers salary cap will be at $79.63 million. The salary cap is expected to be set at $58.5 million, with the luxury tax at $70.3 million. This means the Lakers will be unable to make any serious plays in free agency, with only a $3.3 million mid-level exception at their disposal. Two players who earned around that salary this season for the Lakers were Jordan Hill and Chris Duhon. That gives you the idea of what type of player the Lakers can lure – an underachieving lottery pick and a player who got paid after one good year. Not exactly franchise changing talents. So free agency will not be the solution should the Worst Outcome occur. Dwight Howard and Earl Clark not re-signing means the Lakers will be losing two players who played 4085 minutes for the Lakers last season. The entire team played 19,757 minutes, meaning those two players accounted for 20% of all the time players were on the court. The Lakers would have to somehow fill that 20%, using the plethora of 2nd round picks the Lakers have on their roster or free agents looking to sign for less than their market value. Not an appealing proposition. If the Lakers were to amnesty Metta, that’s another 2530 minutes the Lakers would have to replace. By losing those three players, the Lakers would be losing 1/3rd of their entire minutes contributed last season. Metta may not be the player he once was, but he is still an above-replacement level player and the Lakers would still be paying him on whatever team he would join. This would leave the Lakers with no small forwards on the roster, with very little room to sign replacements. Now we look at our current injury question marks. Kobe Bryant is seriously injured, and although he claims he intends to be ready for opening night, he is a 34-year old recovering from one of the most devastating injuries possible. We like to think of Kobe as invincible, but the reality is players don’t come back at their same level from this type of injury. If Kobe suffers a setback, or even just returns along a more reasonable timeline, the Lakers will struggle mightily. It goes without saying that Kobe is the most important part of the Lakers offense. Without him the Lakers would be forced to run everything through Pau Gasol and Steve Nash. Pau Gasol has minor surgery on both knees this offseason in an effort to remove the pain that plagued him throughout the year. If this surgery was successful, Gasol should look closer to his former self. If the surgery doesn’t fix what ailed Gasol, he will be forced to play the season through this pain – pain that caused Gasol to miss games and definitely affected his play. If Gasol misses time, with no Kobe due to injuries, no Dwight Howard, no Earl Clark, and no Metta World Peace, the Lakers would look like a bottom feeder. Think o

From TheGreatMambino, Silver Screen & Roll: In just two weeks, the Dwightmare could reach it’s highest peak. That’s when Lakers center Dwight Howard will officially become a free agent, available to be courted by whomever has the will and the wherewithal to sign the three-time Defensive Player of the year to a maximum contract. Lakers Nation seems to be split on whether or not Howard, one of the most polarizing players of his era on and off the court, is truly worth the money and trouble that seem to follow him wherever he goes. Let’s take the pulse of Silver Screen & Roll: From Dan Duangdao, Lakers Nation: Metta World Peace, a.k.a Ron Artest, joined a local Houston radio station on Monday to discuss a typical day in the off-season, his thoughts on LeBron James’ play in the Finals so far and Dwight Howard’s impending free-agency. When asked about Dwight Howard’s plans this off-season, World Peace quickly dismissed any possibilities of Howard going to Houston: “Well, he’s not going to Houston. I’ll tell you that.” The Houston Rockets are one of the rumored teams Dwight Howard is interested in as they enough cap room to sign him and a young core centered around James Harden, Chandler Parsons and Omer Asik. Regardless of what the Rockets have to offer, World Peace remained confident with his response and further explained his reasoning the only way Ron Artest knew how to: “The bulls that you bullfight…those things that you tie those things to the bulls that make them go crazy? I got two of those things tied to Dwight Howard’s t——–, so he can’t move.” From Eric Pincus, LA Times: The Lakers’ final non-Mike D’Antoni assistant coach left over the weekend as Darvin Ham joined the Atlanta Hawks under Coach Mike Budenholzer. “Darvin has a great feel for the game and knows what it takes for a team to be successful and compete at a high level,” Budenholzer said in a prepared statement. “He was a smart player who played with intensity and toughness every night and he has gone about coaching the same way.” Dan D’Antoni, brother to Coach Mike D’Antoni, is the only holdover from last season after the Lakers let both Chuck Person and Bernie Bickerstaff go. Phil Handy joined Mike Brown’s staff in Cleveland, while Eddie Jordan took the head position at Rutgers. From Brett Pollakoff, Pro Basketball Nation: Phil Jackson is unquestionably one of the greatest coaches of all time, but he didn’t get there by placating people or considering the feelings of others — especially those with seniority or who were holding down a higher-level position within the organization. Speaking at an event last week where Jackson was plugging his latest book, he recalled the time he asked then Lakers general manager Jerry West — also one of the franchise’s all-time great players — to leave the locker room so Jackson and the team could be alone to dissect the night’s troubles in private. From Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports: Kobe Bryant has ranked among the most popular players in the NBA for more than 15 years now, as his legendary scoring prowess, on- and off-court charisma, affiliation with the glamorous Los Angeles Lakers and near-constant exposure to massive audiences through nationally televised games and deep playoff runs have combined to make him one the sports world’s highest-profile figures. He’s also donequite a bit of work over the years to extend his mega-star status into the massive and hoops-mad nation of China — he’s made annual offseason trips there to meet fans and host camps, and appeared in commercials airing in the nation. He’s participated in exhibition charity games and even reportedly briefly entertained the idea of playing in China during the 2011 NBA lockout. He’s built a Chinese social media presence and launched multiple charitable initiatives in the Far East. And so on.

(h/t to Matt Burd for the video) Kobe has called his dubbed his comeback from a torn achilles tendon “the last chapter” of his career. In the video above, however, we see that all the chapters which have come before have been pretty special. For Lakers’ fans, the slogan he’s adopted in his comeback a reminder that Kobe is near the end of his career. But we can only hope he has a few more moments like the ones that have made him into the special player he’s been for the 17 previous years.

Mar 22, 2013; Austin, TX, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Trevor Mbakwe (32) shoots against UCLA Bruins forward David Wear (12) during the first half in the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Frank Erwin Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports Trevor Mbakwe 6’8″, 236 lbs., Power Forward, Senior, University of Minnesota, 24 years old 2012-13 Season Stats 24.9 minutes, 10.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 56.5% field goal, 61.4% free throw Strengths The best way to describe Trevor Mbakwe’s game is tenacious. Both offensively and defensively, Mbakwe is strong, big, and athletic. Despite his 6’8 frame, he was one of the best rebounders in the nation last year, pulling down almost 9 a game. His motor runs non-stop. Match his ridiculous athleticism with his massive 7’4 wing span and you have the physical tools of a star. Defensively, he’s just as ferocious. He blocked 1.4 shots a game, thanks in large part to his wingspan and his leaping ability. He also did not foul out of a game in his senior year. He led the Big Ten in rebounding both his junior and senior season, an impressive feat with Cody Zeller (among others) in the same league. Mbakwe could be the type of high energy forward that comes off the bench for a huge dunk, alley oop, or rejection to help fire the team up. Weaknesses Simply, he has a ton of baggage. First, he suffered a torn ACL early in his junior season. When he came back, he wasn’t the same player, averaging less points, rebounds, blocks while shooting worse from the field and the free throw line. He did not look like the same player before and after the injury. Next, he had multiple run-ins with law enforcement. First, he was accused of sexual assault in 2009, violated a restraining order in 2011, and was suspended from the team for a DUI in 2012. His last arrest for a DUI nearly cost him a spot on the team, something that is very alarming for NBA scouts and GMs. On the court, he’s undersized as a power forward. His offensive game is very raw and he relies mainly on his athleticism for put-backs and rebounds. While that worked in college, when he faces more athletic big men, he won’t dominate so easily. He also lacks a jumper, nor the confidence to take a shot farther than 10 feet out. Too often in games, Mbakwe would disappear. 14 times his senior year he took five shots or less in a game. Maintaining focus over 48 minutes could be an issue for Mbakwe also. Where he fits with the Lakers I’m not sure he does fit with the Lakers. We already have an athletic, raw big man in Jordan Hill. While they don’t have a plethora of big men, I’m not sure Mbakwe is the best fit. They need a stretch four more than the need an undersized four. Still, he could bring them some energy off the bench with Hill if the Lakers took him. Our Take Jacob Rude – I do think Mbakwe will find a place in the NBA and be a solid role player, but I don’t think that place will be on the Lakers. The larger needs at small forward and finding a stretch four seem to be more glaring than drafting an undersized big man with lots of baggage. Caleb Cottrell – I’ll pass. Mbakwe is intriguing, but the Lakers have a couple athletic big men that can’t shoot already — looking at you Dwight Howard and Jordan Hill. The Lakers could use an energy guy, but I don’t want to take a risk on him when we have more pressing needs, as Jacob said above.

In just two weeks, the Dwightmare could reach it's highest peak. That's when Lakers center Dwight Howard will officially become a free agent, available to be courted by whomever has the will and the wherewithal to sign the three-time Defensive Player of the year to a maximum contract. Lakers Nation seems to be split on whether or not Howard, one of the most polarizing players of his era on and off the court, is truly worth the money and trouble that seem to follow him wherever he goes. Let's take the pulse of Silver Screen & Roll: Actuarially Sound No. I hate to admit it but I think Howard will most likely be playing for another team next season. I am sure many will disagree with me but Howard's seems to think the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. He had a great situation in Orlando as the face of the franchise for a team that went to the finals and still had solid pieces with which to compete with going forward. Howard however wasn't happy and thus wanted to come to LA. Now that he experienced life in LA, with the burden of the bright lights and heavy expectations, he wants the green grass on the other side of the fence... the grass in Chris Paul's yard. Howard's career has been defined by his inability to decide what he wants and to pursue it. It isn't that he hasn't possessed the power to do so before, it's that his personality seems to cause him to waffle on all his decisions. He possessed the power to force a trade out of Orlando, yet he picked up his option for another year after he was unhappy and then forced a trade later anyway. He just comes across to me as a guy looking to find the most enjoyable situation and that is always changing. It's a shame too because what he doesn't realize is that no team has been more successful over the past few decades than the Lakers and there is nothing more enjoyable than winning. The majority of criticism he has had to endure will go away with a single championship. The Lakers have a long history of producing those every few years. It's a shame he can't see the beauty of the grass where he currently resides. Drew Garrison No, I do not foresee Dwight Howard staying with the Lakers. Howard will have his options laid at his feet -- the Houston Rockets with James Harden, a young core and a front office that is perceived as "cutting edge", the Atlanta Hawks will roll out all the bells and whistles they can while selling him a vision of the future in his hometown, the Chris Paul effect -- and he finally gets a chance to choose after years of being contractually bound to cities. It's understandable that he wants to explore his options after watching the roster around him either destroyed by injuries (Pau Gasol, Jordan Hill, Steve Nash, Steve Blake and ultimately Kobe Bryant) or be next to useless (Devin Ebanks, Darius Morris, Chris Duhon). The roster isn't going to improve much by talent or age which makes a hard-sell for Mitch Kupchak and the front office. That leaves one year where the Lakers -might- be better if they can dodge the injury bug followed by uncertainty once the contracts of Metta World Peace, Kobe, and Pau expire. Yes, it will be his empire to rule, but for a "superstar" who claims he wants to win and win now, there are more questions than answers with the Lakers franchise while a team like Houston would approach Howard as a final piece, not a building block. C.A. Clark No, and every day I'm a little bit happier about it. I have to come to the belief that Dwight would rather be elsewhere; away from the pressure of playing for the Lakers, away from Kobe and all of his alpha dog glory, away from Mike D'Antoni because apparently Mike D'Antoni just isn't a fun guy to be around. And if Dwight would rather be elsewhere, there is no reason for him not to go elsewhere except one: money. The Lakers cannot offer Dwight that much more money than anybody else can, but they can offer him a longer guar

As we watch yet another Finals without the Lakers, what do we see? We see a league influenced with the principles introduced by Mike Dantoni, now represented in the Finals.The San Antonio Spurs, the most traditional of franchises, is succeeding with small lineups, pick and rolls, 3 point shooting and a fast pace. The Miami Heat have moved Lebron James to power forward and Chris Bosh to center. Small ball is everywhere and the Lakers have its progenitor on the payroll. It doesn’t matter if the roster doesn’t yet reflect a roster ideal for this coach. With a clearing of cap space in the summer of 2014, the Lakers are positioned for future championships, and Mike Dantoni is the best choice to guide the team through the new paradigm shift. Its easy to embrace the memory of Phil Jackson and multiple championships but that ship has sailed and was last seen drifting off into the sunset as a fiery mess after the 2011 playoffs. That team is gone and the expectations that come with it. The Phoenix Suns were the envy of the league during the Dantoni era. When Steve Kerr came on board as GM, he doubted that this revolutionary approach could win a championship. He traded for Shaquille O’Neal and disrupted a system that had reached two Conference Finals. In New York, the Knicks made the playoffs with a barren roster surrounding Amare Stoudemire. The blockbuster trade for Carmelo Anthony for the second time scuttled the style of play that Dantoni had built. The success of the Denver Nuggets this season is a reminder of what could had been in New York. It becomes easy to blame the coach for an organizations’ struggles. It was ironic watching the Knicks thrive this season as Mike Woodson followed Dantoni principles and shifted Carmelo Anthony to power forward and surrounded him with ball movers and shooters, all things that were resisted when he was there. The Lakers front office made a concerted effort during its championship run to line itself up for a reboot in 2014. They jettisoned bench players seeking long term extensions (Farmar) , got rid of their bad contracts (Odom, Vujacic, and Walton) and made conservative acquisitions to keep the team competitive. While doing this, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak made stunning trades for Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, and Steve Nash.  For reasons outside of their control, the trades didn’t work out as planned. The Paul trade was vetoed, and Howard and Nash faced injuries and integration issues. Is that Jim Buss’s fault? No. The Lakers were able to also sign Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks to minor contracts. On paper the Lakers hit a grand slam, but after years of luck and good health, karma reared it ugly face and punished the team with its most difficult season in almost a decade. Contrast this strategy with that of the Boston Celtics, who had similarly geared up for a long championship run in 2008. Change is painful and the creeping doubt accrued by the death of Jerry Buss, the departure of Phil Jackson, and the aging of the roster, all created a narrative of a franchise in turmoil. Nothing could be further from the truth. The team has been caught in an ownership and roster transition and it will naturally not look pretty to a rabid fan base used to deep playoff runs. But looking at the fundamentals, the Lakers are in much better shape than during the similar transition periods such as the summers of 1992 and 2005. Mike Dantoni was put in a difficult position taking over the team without a training camp. The Western Conference downsized and sped up their style of play and the Lakers would have been left behind last season no matter who was coaching. There is uncertainty going forward into the 2013-14 season with Kobe Bryant’s injury and Dwight Howard’s pending free agency. The one thing that is certain, however, is the organization’s ability to acquire talent and a willingness to spend in order to field a championship conten

Mar 15, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Florida Gators center Erik Murphy (33) shoots against the LSU Tigers during the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports Erik Murphy: Power Forward/Center, 6’9.5′?, 240 lbs. Senior, Florida University,  22 years old 2012-13 stats: 26.4 minutes, 12.2 points, 51.6 field goal percentage, 45.3 three point percentage, 78.4 free throw percentage, 1.4 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.7 blocks. Strengths: During his four years at Florida, Erik Murphy became one of the best shooting big men in all of college basketball. In his last season, Murphy took 4.4 threes (half of his total shots!!) a game. Murphy ranks second in PPP (Points Per Possession) off of jump shots for big men — only behind Doug McDermott. His shooting allows him to be a dangerous option in both the catch-and-shoot role, and the pick-and-pop. At 6’10 and 240 pounds, Murphy has great size for a power forward; this could allow him to develop a nice game down low. Besides his nice size, he has shown that he has nice touch around the rim. His size should not only help him on offense, but on defense, as well. As he got more playing time, and his body filled out in college, he turned into a solid post defender. His length will allow him to defend well in the paint, but he leaves much to be desired when defending the perimeter. All-in-all, he’s an average defender. Weaknesses: As I mentioned above, his defense is okay, not great, and he needs to work on his perimeter defense — especially in today’s game where he could be guarding another stretch four. Also, his defensive rebounding is not very good at all. If you adjusted his stats to 40 minutes, he would only average 6.2 rebounds. That’s not what you want to see out of someone with his size. Murphy doesn’t exactly have the best upside. He’s an okay athlete, but not that great. He doesn’t have a great upside because of this, and the Lakers could use upside right now. Where he fits in with the Lakers: Mike D’Antoni’s system is perfect for Murphy because it needs a stretch four — that’s exactly what Erik is. However, I only see him coming off of the bench, especially if we keep Howard. I’m not sure he can become a starter, but you really aren’t really hoping for a starter at the 48th pick. Our take: Caleb Cottrell: I have an irrational love for Murphy; I seem to love power forwards who can shoot the three: Kevin Love, Ryan Anderson, Ryan Kelly, and so on. So, I would love it if the Lakers drafted Murphy, and I could see him making some sort of impact off of the bench. It’s between Ryan Kelly and Erik Murphy for me; I would be fine with either, but I think Murphy is a little bit better than Kelly. That’s just me, though. Jacob Rude: Ryan Kelly and Erik Murphy are basically the same type of player minus a couple things. I think both would be great fits on the Lakers. Murphy is a bit stronger than Kelly, but maybe not as good of range. Neither are great rebounders. However, like Caleb said, you don’t expect a starter at the 48th pick. If either Murphy or Kelly are available with the Lakers pick, they should be priority number 1A and 1B, with Kelly having a slight advantage in my book.

When word began to circulate Saturday that the Clippers have weighed offering Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe to their Staples Center co-tenants for Dwight Howard in a potential sign-and-trade swap after July 1, that naturally made folks wonder where the Lakers stand in their quest to re-sign Howard when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Here's the latest: • The Lakers have had several discussions with Howard's representatives over the past few weeks and remain confident that they will ultimately keep him with the franchise, even as he's made it clear he will entertain other suitors.

Mar 31, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Ryan Kelly (34) shoots against the Louisville Cardinals in the first half during the finals of the Midwest regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports Ryan Kelly Forward, 6’11″, 228 lbs., Senior, Duke University, 22 years old 2012-13 Stats 28.9 minutes, 12.9 points, 45.3% field goal percentage, 42.2% three-point percentage, 81.2% free throw percentage, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.6 blocks Strengths Ryan Kelly is one of the best jump shooters in the draft, and considering his size, he’ll find himself a spot in the NBA. He’s the prototypical stretch four for an NBA team and with the direction teams in the league are taking, he’s a bit of a desired asset. He improved his range on a year to year basis, shooting a deadly 42.2% from three last year, assuring he has NBA range. Kelly also has a very high basketball IQ, which makes up for his lack of athleticism both offensively and defensively. He doesn’t have the foot speed to beat a player off the dribble, but has great handles, good court vision, and great passing. Defensively, while he isn’t strong nor quick, he’s smart and has great instincts, which makes him surprisingly good on the defensive end. Weaknesses He suffered a broken foot halfway through his senior season that sidelined him for half the year. While his first game back saw him score 36 points and shoot lights out from three, he averaged just 8.4 points a game after that. Given his size, he’s also a poor rebounder, averaging just over five rebounds a game last year. He’s also going to struggle with more athletic big men defensively as he lacks foot speed to keep up with them. He could afford to also put on a few pounds to bulk up, despite adding nearly 30 pounds to his frame while at Duke. Where he fits with the Lakers If Mike D’Antoni is committed to making his system work with this team, Kelly is exactly the type of four man he’s looking for. Kelly can stretch the floor at the four position for Dwight (if he stays) or Pau (if Dwight leaves). And with a hole at the stretch four position – Earl Clark is the only guy who can play there – Kelly would fill a need for the Lakers. With Antawn Jamison likely leaving, Kelly is basically a better defensive, slightly worse offensive version of Jamison. Our take Jacob Rude – I think Kelly would be a perfect fit. The Lakers lacked consistent shooting from the bench last year, with Antawn Jamison and Earl Clark going through long stretches of inefficiency. No big man in the draft has the shooting touch he does, and with Jamison likely gone and Clark a free agent, Kelly could step into their roles and contribute to the team. Caleb Cottrell - I think Kelly fits, but there is another stretch four who will be in the Lakers range that goes by the name of Erik Murphy. Murphy is a little bigger, stronger, faster, better rebounder, and can shoot better (surprising). If Murphy is picked before the Lakers, I’m all for the taking a flier on Kelly. I could see him becoming a player like Ryan Anderson, which I would gladly take on the Lakers.