Lakers: All Lakers Writers Roundtable On L.A.'s Season So Far

Your Los Angeles Lakers may be getting some depth back tonight as they try to gradually claw their way out of the 3-10 hole they've dug for themselves early in the 2022-23 NBA season.

Let's take a look at L.A.'s year to this point. All Lakers scribes Noah Camras, Ryan Menzie, Ricardo Sandoval, and Alex Kirschenbaum unpack the team's run to date, plus a bonus historical Lakers question.

Who has been the most disappointing Laker so far this season?

Noah: Kendrick Nunn. Last year he sat out all year with a bone bruise in his knee, but he was expected to provide a scoring punch off the bench in his second year with the club. He's done quite the opposite. Nunn is scoring just 4.7 points per game on an abysmal 31% from the field. He's had six games in which he hasn't scored a point, and has a total plus/minus of -71 this season. If his play continues to be this bad, he'll leave the Lakers a thief, having stolen $10 million from the franchise over the past two seasons.

Ricardo: Kendrick Nunn. Our expectations were low but holy cow. Nunn missed the entire 2021-2022 season due to a bone bruise in his knee and was determined to silence the haters. However, in 11 of the possible 13 games he could’ve played in, Nunn is playing like a below-average NBA player, shooting 31% from the field and 23% from 3. Not a great start from the 27-year-old third-year pro. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season; just throwing that out there.

Ryan: LeBron James. I know James has been leading the Lakers in scoring but hear me out. He currently ranks 35th in the league in player efficiency rating (20.29), he is shooting 23.9% from the 3-point line and 66.7% from the free throw line, and just 10 games into the season James comes down with a groin injury. Yes he's 37 years old, but with James not being able to get traded from the Lakers and the season slowly dwindling, the hunger for James to win another championship has been looking more non-existent than ever.

Alex: Anthony Davis. This guy was supposed to take the reins from LeBron James like two years ago and become the face of the Lakers' franchise for the next half-decade or so (much like Kyrie Irving with the Cleveland Cavaliers way back when). Now, I'm skeptical he remains in the NBA beyond the next half-decade. We can't trust him to stay healthy, he's playing a position he openly loathes, he's lost his jumper, and a lot of what made him so special in New Orleans has eroded. This is all relative -- he's still, quite handily, the second-best player on the Lakers and still probably one of the best 30 or so players in the NBA. But that's a far cry from what Lakers fans probably hoped he would be at age 29: a perpetual MVP candidate.

Who has been the most surprising (in a good way) Laker so far?

Noah: I've been extremely impressed with how quickly Max Christie has worked himself into a contributing role. I didn't think we'd see much of the teenager this season, but he's earned himself minutes very early on this year. He's shooting the ball at an impressive clip — 47.1% from the field and 54.5% from deep in limited action — and making the most of his time on the court. If he can use his length to his advantage, he can be a real two-way force for this club (or quite the trade chip).

Ricardo: My most surprising Laker will go to someone most Laker fans wanted out of the team in the summer, Mr. Triple Double himself, Russell Westbrook. After having the worst season of his NBA career last season, Westbrook is having a great start to the season since coming off the bench against the T-Wolves in late October. He looks like a shade of his old self and thrived in the past couple of weeks.

Ryan: Russell Westbrook seems like an obvious choice but Lonnie Walker IV needs to be given credit where it's due. Walker provides the youth the Lakers desperately need and it has paid dividends for the team. Walker currently is third on the team in scoring (16.5) and blocks (0.6). His ability to run up and down the court while also being one of the more consistent 3-point shooters can't be understated for a team that was dying to find some floor spacing.

Alex: Troy Brown Jr. has been shockingly competent. After an uninspiring season with the Chicago Bulls, I thought he wouldn't have anything to give the Lakers. But this wing-starved L.A. team has given him the minutes to really explore his skillset. I'm not saying he's going to be a starter for a playoff-caliber team anytime soon, but if he keeps this up, the 23-year-old could actually carve out a role on good clubs in the years to come.

What do you think about Russell Westbrook's performance as a sixth man?

Noah: I've been calling for Russell Westbrook to move to a sixth man role since early last season. Allowing him to enter a game late in the first quarter as the leader of the offense just made sense, and provided LeBron James with a true backup ball-handler. While I had a feeling an off-the-bench role for Russ would give him more confidence to play free and run the offense, I didn't see it turning him into a knockdown shooter. Westbrook has arguably been the team's best shooter since moving into the bench role, and has provided a much needed spark. He still needs to figure out how to hold onto the ball, and not do too much when trying to make plays. But still, it's a huge improvement over last season.

Ricardo: Russell has been at his best off the bench, something I didn’t think he would be willing to do at the start of the season. Head coach Darvin Ham said he’d make the necessary changes to win, and a big early change has been having Westbrook play the sixth-man role. Even though the wins haven’t come, Russell has been phenomenal off the bench. He has that swagger and confidence that we’re used to seeing him play with, and it looks like that’ll continue.

Ryan: If the Lakers are going to win any games this season it's going to go through Russell Westbrook. Last season Westbrook was the healthiest of the Lakers' Big 3 but saw a steep decline in shooting efficiency that carried over into the beginning of this season. Since Westbrook started embracing his bench role however, he has averaged 18.3 points, 8.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds in nine games. The experiment has paid off despite the Lakers still struggling to find wins and you can't help but appreciate the former MVP for taking a lesser role to better the team.

Alex: Westbrook has looked much better since embracing his new gig. Unfortunately, he's being paid about 3-4 times more than is typical for a normal sixth man, and that reality has hampered the team's roster construction. He could do this for several more years and still make decent money. I'm a bit stunned he's been this good, and am curious to see where he goes in free agency next season.

What is the ceiling for this current Lakers team?

Noah: If they don't make any moves, the best this team is doing is a nine or 10 seed in the West. And that's at best. The Lakers need to find a way to play defense like they did through the first games of the year, and shoot like they have in their most recent games. If they can put that all together, they should have a chance to claw their way back to .500. Also, the additions of Dennis Schroder and Thomas Bryant to the lineup should be a huge positive. But it's not like these guys are All-Stars.

Ricardo: Barring health, I predicted the Lakers’ ceiling was a 5th seed and a second-round exit, and now with 13 games in, that’s looking quite dim. The Lakers are last in 3-point field goal percentage at 30.7% and currently have the 16th-ranked defensive rating. Right now, the purple and gold's ceiling is a play-in berth and competing in the first round.

Ryan: Coming into the season I thought the Lakers making it to a sixth seed would be a great season. That seems like a long shot now, but if the Lakers can start pulling some wins together I think they can be at-least the ninth seed. This of course unfortunately remains a long shot.

Alex: Prior to the start of the year, I thought this current roster would make the Lakers a play-in team (i.e. a 7-10 seed), but I also figured the Lakers would be trading Russell Westbrook for multiple players who would fit better around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. I think now I was wrong on both counts. This team would be lucky to finish with the 11th seed and 33-49 record that L.A.'s roster of museum pieces achieved in 2021-22.

How would you improve the team internally (e.g. in terms of lineup choices, offensive or defensive strategies)?

Noah: First, I'd sit Anthony Davis down in a room and tell him that when he's bigger than his defender (which is a lot of the time), he needs to back him into the low block, use his big body and dunk the basketball. I know AD used to be able to shoot. But he can't anymore. And it's time for him to work in the paint, and in the paint only. Then, I'd give more playing time to Matt Ryan. This team needs a three-point threat, and he seems to be the only one they have — so why not let him shoot eight threes a game. The starting lineup (when healthy) should be Dennis Shroder, Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown Jr., LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Off the bench should be Russell Westbrook, Austin Reaves, Patrick Beverly, Matt Ryan and Thomas Bryant. Max Christie can find some minutes here and there, and Kendrick Nunn, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Wenyen Gabriel shouldn't touch a basketball unless it's a blowout.

Ricardo: The Lakers must pair one of their bigs alongside Anthony Davis. Davis’s best season as a Laker was his first year when he was paired with JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard. Ham must constantly play either Damian Jones, Wenyen Gabriel, or Thomas Bryant (when he gets back from injury) with AD so he can be at his best. Small sample size, but on Friday night against the Kings, Gabriel and Davis were +9 in 13 minutes with an 82.1 defensive rating.

Ryan: The offensive focal point of the team needs to go through Anthony Davis. Unless a big trade happens to completely reset the Lakers roster for the next few years, Davis has to carry the offense. LeBron is too old and Westbrook as flourished in his new role. Davis has stepped it up and has averaged 27.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in his last five games. The question remains of Davis can stay healthy for an entire season but if you aren't going to try to push everything you can't out of Davis now, then why make such a haul for the big man in the first place?

Alex: It's time to demote Patrick Beverley. The 34-year-old point guard remains a perfectly decent defender (not All-Defensive Team decent anymore, perhaps, but decent nonetheless), but has become such a minus as a scorer (he's averaging 4.6 points on 27.8% shooting from the floor, including just 23.5% on 3.1 three-point attempts) that he's a bit of a detriment to L.A.'s spacing. The Lakers could either elevate Austin Reaves, a decent defender who's looked like the better passer and shooter this season by a mile, or shift LeBron James back to point guard, his official status during the 2019-20 title season.

What moves would you make now, given what you've seen from L.A. this season? Would you make trade(s) to improve the team, and if so which trade(s), or would you go the other direction and blow it up? Keep in mind, LeBron James cannot be moved before the offseason.

Noah: I hate to say it, but if I'm Rob Pelinka, I'm calling every single GM in the league and asking for their best offer for Anthony Davis. AD is still just 29 (although he plays like he's 39) and has two more years of team control plus a player option. The Lakers should do whatever they can to recoup picks and players for AD — emphasis on the word and — as there won't be a better time to trade him. Overall, they can look at the AD-LeBron pairing as a positive. They won a championship together in 2020. But it's time for the Lakers to do a little bit of forward-thinking. And trading AD for the best package — which should be better than what the Timberwolves got for 30-year-old Rudy Gobert — can help both the present and the future. Go get Zach LaVine and all the picks and pick swaps in the world from the Bulls, and let AD go back home to Chicago.

Ricardo: Shooting and wings. The Lakers need shooting at a consistent rate. We all know the name; we’ve been hearing the same names for some time now, so he’d be a great help (yes, I’m talking about Buddy Hield). Also, LA has too many guards; they need a wing player who can either guard, hit spot-up shots when needed, or both. Giving up Westbrook is the apparent trade piece in improving the roster, and he’s improved his trade value these last couple of weeks.

Ryan: We're getting close to the point of no return for the Lakers and unless the Lakers choose to depart with two first round picks it doesn't seem a deal will get done in time. As much as it pains me to say it, the move I'd make would be to just completely blow this thing up. Trade away Anthony Davis and try to get as much draft picks and value as you can while he's still a top NBA athlete and dispose of Westbrook at the end of the season. Or, keep Davis and send LeBron away at the end of the season to keep Davis as the centerfold of the team for at-least the next couple of seasons. The injury issues are scary, but building a team around a talent like Davis will at-least keep the Lakers in the conversation.

Alex: The Lakers are definitely at a crossroads. I think the most prudent play is probably blowing it up, although that's kind of depressing to think about, and LeBron James will be trapped in Los Angeles through the 2022-23 season regardless, as his new extension means he cannot be traded this year. The 29-year-old Davis is the team's best asset until James becomes available, but even then, I'm skeptical L.A. could recoup a haul quite like the one it gave to the Pelicans to nab him in 2019. I love that Zach LaVine trade idea.

A group of Los Angeles Times writers just released their list of the top 75 Lakers ever. Let's have some fun with this. Who are your top 5 Lakers role players of all time? The big criteria here is that whomever you chose was never an All-Star while playing for L.A. (so that means players like Horace Grant and Rajon Rondo would qualify, but Dwight Howard -- an All-Star in 2013 but a role player in later seasons with L.A. -- would not).

Noah: Robert Horry is No. 1. The king of the big shot who put his stamp on so many big moments in LA. Two I got Derek Fisher. He'll always be remembered for his 0.4 buzzer beater, but he was a steady force on those championship teams next to Kobe and Pau. Three I'll go Lamar Odom. The Lakers don't win those championships without LO off the bench, and I loved watching him run the offense. Then I have to go Byron Scott, who played a big role in the Showtime era running with Magic. And five, I'll go outside the box and say Trevor Ariza during his first stint with the Lakers. I don't think TA was better than a lot of other guys, but I loved watching him play, especially on the defensive side of the ball. He always came up with the big steal in the biggest moment, and he was one of my favorite role players growing up.

Ricardo: I’ll start it off with a point guard, and at my one, I’ll take Derek Fisher. Kobe’s point guard for all of his title runs, and he’s hit clutch shot after clutch shot. Next, I’ll go with Bryon Scott. Scott was a key Showtime Lakers member and the starting shooting guard for nine of his ten seasons in purple and gold. Number three on my list goes to Mr. Big Shot Robert Horry. From Houston, San Antonio, and most importantly, Los Angeles, Horry hit so many clutch shots as a Laker and none more significant than in game four of the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings. Number four on my list goes to Lamar Odom; the lefty was part of a package deal that sent Shaq to Miami in the summer of 2004 and became a crucial contributor in the back-to-back titles for the Lakers. Odom’s ability to handle the ball, hit open shots, and play defense were vital to the Lakers dominating the late 2000s. My fifth and final spot goes to Iron Man, A.C. Green. Green was a first-round pick by the Lakers in 1985 and led the Lakers in rebounding in six of his eight seasons in his first stint with the Lakers. Green was also the tone setter in the Kobe and Shaq era, as he was vital in creating that early 2000 dynasty.

Ryan: Oh man. This is tough but lets see here. In no particular order I'll put Derek Fisher (he was a starter, but come on now we know those teams were led by Kobe and Shaq), Robert Horry (a pretty easy choice. Can't take away seven rings), Michael Cooper (lockdown defense and can jump out the gym, a perfect role player for Magic Johnson), Byron Scott (a career 37% shooter while also finishing a season shooting 43.3%, another perfect guy for Magic. Did I mention Magic was a pretty good basketball player himself?), and last but not least my personal favorite from the list Lamar Odom (his intangibles could've made him one of the greatest players in the game, but because of his dedication to win and taking a backseat role, he helped the team win. One of Kobe's favorite players).

Alex: ADAM MORRISON.

Just kidding. But seriously, no love for Rick Fox, guys? The versatile swingman proved to be a crucial role player during his seven seasons in Los Angeles with the Shaqobe Lakers, and the fact that he looked like a movie star (and dated movie stars) added an extra level of Hollywood cache to the club at the time. The 6'7" forward started on two of the team's three straight title-winning teams from 2000-2002, and provided something of a stabilizing veteran presence for the dysfunctional 2004 Finals team. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma both only played for four short seasons with the Lakers, but proved to be essential role players on that fun 2020 bubble title team; I'm going to go with KCP over Kuzma for this exercise because he was the starter, although Kuzma has since eclipsed him as a special scoring talent with the Wizards. During their shared Lakers tenure, Caldwell-Pope fulfilled a more crucial need. Lamar Odom was so unique, a versatile 6'10" point forward. He would probably be a more valuable player in this era's NBA, and might get more accolades than merely one Sixth Man of the Year honor. 1987 Defensive Player of the Year Michael Cooper was a crucial semi-unsung hero for the Showtime era, doing lots of the dirty work covering opponents on the perimeter while Magic, Cap and Big Game James got the glory on offense. I always enjoy a former All-Star figuring out how best to maximize his skills while recognizing that he has entered what Bill Simmons likes to call "a different phase in his career." To that end, ex-All-Star Bob McAdoo was a fun, unselfish standout for the Showtime Lakers. He had been the 1975 MVP while with the Buffalo Braves (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then still with the Bucks, finished fifth in voting that year), and was a five-time All-Star in the 1970s. By the time he joined the Lakers in 1981, he was no longer at that level, thanks to a series of injuries. The 6'9" center proved to be a critical sixth man on championship teams in 1982 and 1985, the kind of player who steps up in the playoffs.