The Lakers fans are still very excited today. Yesterday I wrote in an article that the biggest question the Lakers have after completing multiple signings is whether they can successfully sign Gasol. Unexpectedly, in less than a day, Pelinka showed off his magical tricks. The Lakers only used a two-year-old contract to get the best defensive player ever. I have to say Pelinka’s operation. It's really amazing.
Of course, in order to provide the Lakers with a more competitive offer, Pelinka also made a necessary transaction before, that is, to send McGee and a second-round pick to the Cavaliers in exchange for Jordan. Bell and Alfonso McKinney. The reason for doing this is naturally to further free up salary space, and then give Xiaoli as much money as possible.
Because the Lakers have used the full middle class regulations and biannual exceptions before, the team has triggered a hard salary cap. When the team's total salary cannot exceed 139 million, the Lakers can only trade McGee in order to free up. This 1 million salary space. So on the whole, the Lakers have no other way to trade McGee. After all, McGee has implemented his player options before, and his 4.25 million contract is enough to accept a small increase in two year-end salary.
And from the analysis of salary expert Bobby Marks, if the Lakers signed with Xiaojia a one-year salary, although the salary is $2.6 million, it actually only takes up $1.6 million in salary space. And if the Lakers signed a two-year-old contract with Xiaojia, the salary space occupied by the contract would be a full $2.6 million. In fact, this contract is similar to that of Duncan and the last-term contract of the Demon Sword. That is, Jia may only retire after playing for the Lakers for one year, and the Lakers will cut the second-year contract in installments. It is equivalent to playing for the Lakers for a year, and can receive two years of salary. The purpose of this is to avoid the problem that the Lakers can't give him a higher contract due to triggering a hard salary cap. Analyzing from here, the Lakers can be considered the most sincere invitation of Xiaojia to join. After
successfully signed the small plus, the signing of the offseason for the Lakers can be considered complete, and the arrival of small plus obviously provides a guarantee for the Lakers to defend their title. So why is it said that Little Plus is the best puzzle for the Lakers to defend their title? In fact, the reason is very simple. I can briefly explain from the following points.
First, after Howard and McGee left the Lakers one after another, it is obviously necessary for the team to get a small plus, because even if the Lakers signed Harrell, the player who can release the pressure of the big eyebrow can only be small plus. In fact, the greatest ability that Xiaojia provides for the Lakers is defense. As the best defensive player in the past, Xiaojia's defensive ability on the inside can be called the top existence. Even at the age of 35, he can still influence the team. For example, when he was on the court last season, the Raptors had a net win of 10.6 points per 100 possessions, and the defensive end only lost 100.5 points per 100 possessions. After he was off the court, the Raptors lost 107.9 points per 100 possessions, a net win per 100 possessions. Only 4.7 points. It can be said that such straightforward data can fully reflect Xiaojia's defensive ability. And Xiaojia's defense on the inside can relieve the pressure of the thick eyebrow brother, and at the same time can prevent the thick eyebrow brother from the risk of injury, which is also a consideration for the Lakers management to sign him.
is second, Xiaojia has good support and organization ability. Last season, Xiaojia averaged 2.9 assists per game, ranking 49th among all players, and the center position is relatively high. The threat of Xiaojia holding the ball in the high post is actually enough to affect the opponent's defense. For example, he can pass the ball with the defender, or he can cooperate with the thick eyebrows on the periphery. In addition, the small blessing can further draw the Lakers' space, and outside shooters can seek good open shot opportunities through running positions. In short, in today's league, there are not many big men who can pass the ball, and Xiaojia can be regarded as a player with a very good passing awareness and ball quotient. With him, the Lakers' organizational ability is expected to be further improved, and then he will be able to play. Will be more comfortable.
is third. Another advantage of Xiaojia is that he has the ability to shoot three-pointers, and his shooting range is very large, not limited to the inside penalty area. Last season, he averaged 1.3 three-pointers per game, and the three-point shooting percentage reached 38.5%. Although this data is not very good, as a veteran, his shooting ability is enough to open up space for Zhan Mei. In other words, when JamesWhen Sis and Brother Nongmei play singles with the ball, once Xiaojia expands, then the opponent's defense and double-teaming are not easy to try. Last season, the Lakers lacked a 5th shooting big man, which made James face more defensive pressure when he broke through the paint. The arrival of Xiaojia can completely free up the tactical space of the Lakers, when opponents dare not easily empty the periphery. Z2z
Simply put, these three abilities of Xiaojia are urgently needed by the Lakers, and they are also difficult for other inside players to provide. So after Pelinka completes this signing, Magic Johnson will say on Twitter that the Lakers are really a championship team, and every position on the team is strong enough to further provide protection for the defense.
Looking at it now, the Lakers have basically completed reinforcements in all positions. The guard added Schroder, Matthews joined on the front line, and Pope was renewed at the same time. In the end, Harrell and Small additions further increase the advantage of insiders. It can be said that after the completion of these five major signings, the Lakers are still very balanced in all positions, and the starters and substitutes complement each other. However, since the Lakers' salary space is running out, the next step is to use the basic salary to get two more veterans, or to fill the 15-man roster with a two-way contract.
In fact, I personally think that with the current influence of the Lakers, it is actually very easy to attract veterans. After all, many veterans still want to get a championship ring, and the Lakers are the strongest team in the league. So my only expectation is that the Lakers can sign 1-2 more reliable veterans to further consolidate the strength of the defending champion. Is it possible for everyone?
