Lakers’ Version of “The King and I”

LAL bears a cost for having the best player in the world. Trading LeBron James for Anthony Davis would significantly improve Lakers’ prospects.

I was channel surfing a couple of weeks ago and stopped my search once I came upon Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe. It wasn’t because I wanted to watch the show, which I do religiously, but to read the bottom of the filter page.

Fans were asking each other about Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers.

I was intrigued, surprised, confused, and angry all at the same time!

Then I stopped and thought about the question, putting on my GM hat. My answer: Absolutely!

I would pull the trigger on that trade.

Here’s my explanation for what seems like–at least on the surface–to be an absurd way of thinking.

For all the greatness that is LeBron James, he also represents future problems for a young Lakers core. Why do I say that? Well, think back to every team he’s played on in the pros.

Mario Chalmers, Heat (photo, CBS-Miami)

In Miami, Mario Chalmers was a serviceable point guard. He controlled the pace of the game, played tremendous defense, and got the ball into the hands of resident superstar D Wade. But once LeBron signed with the Heat, Chalmers was forced into the shooting guard position on offense because LeBron has to have the ball in his hands at least eighty-five percent of the time. Chalmers was then forced to play off-the-ball, which (most nights) ended in disaster.

Fast forward to 2014. LeBron goes back to the Cleveland Cavaliers for his second stint with the team that drafted him #1 overall in 2003. Unlike his first stint with this team, he now has a stud point guard named Kyrie Irving. Irving’s resume screamed future Hall of Famer: ROY, NBA All-Star, volume scorer, and clutch shot-maker.

With the arrival of James, Irving is forced to play off the ball, which isn’t his strong suit. He made his name by dominating with the basketball in his hands. Then things changed.

Now, for those of you think I need my head examined for even suggesting that LAL dump The King, let’s look at the actual repercussions of having James on your roster.

Point guards play the off-guard position–a position they’ve never played at the professional level–and one that’s easily the most difficult of all transition positions. LeBron, you see, disrupts the balance of your team, which is why I now understand what Kevin Durant was eluding to earlier this season.

Lonzo Ball (photo, Silver Screen and Roll)

The Lakers have a great, young core in Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram. Yet, all of those players have yet to develop–at least not the way they should have.

If you’ve followed Lonzo Ball’s career since his days at Chino Hills HS and, them, to UCLA, you know how dazzling he can be with the ball in his hands. He scored in bunches in high school and led the nation in assists in Westwood. He rebounded extremely well and pushed the ball with startling results.

But in his second season with the Lakers–and first with LeBron–he’s struggling to find the balance that made him the second overall pick in the Draft. He’s forced to play off-the-ball. For a guy that isn’t a great shooter, that’s tough to do in the NBA.

Now, consider Brandon Ingram. There was talk around the NBA that Ingram was the second coming of Kevin Durant. But playing with LeBron has turned big talk into minimal chatter. That’s because Ingram plays hot and cold, and hasn’t become the consistent scorer the Lakers need on a nightly basis.

Then there’s Kuzma. He has shown flashes of what he can become, but he also needs the space to become that player consistently. He can play off-the-ball, but he isn’t a great shooter.

ClutchPoints

When all is said and done, the Anthony Davis trade makes sense. Why? All of those players can grow up together and become something special. Davis can play off the ball, play catch and shoot, rebound with ferocity, and play great defense.

–With Davis in the fold, Lonzo Ball can have the basketball in his hands and make mistakes on the fly.

–Ingram can roam and become a more consistent scorer with the attention that Davis would command.

–Kuzma can ease into the role of being a 20-and-10 guy without much pressure because he’ll be playing alongside a great offensive player who doesn’t need to have the ball the majority of the time.

Davis is only 25 years of age, and the cast of Lakers could potentially play together for a decade (at least) and create something special–once again–at Staples Center.

Yeah, fans, I’d trade LeBron for Davis.