- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 452,231
- Reaction score
- 44
After landing Luka Doncic in the trade heard around the world on Feb. 1, the Lakers needed a starting-level center — badly. They already needed another serviceable defensive center before they sent out superstar big man Anthony Davis in the Doncic trade, but afterward, their need for such a player went from a seven to an 11 on a scale of one to 10.
Just days later, they appeared to be getting exactly that type of player. The Lakers agreed to send rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round draft pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams, an up-and-coming center.
But when Williams reportedly failed his physical, the trade was rescinded. Just like that, they were forced to get by with Jaxson Hayes, who is seven feet tall and 220 pounds and has never averaged over 20.0 minutes a game for an entire season, as their only true center.
According to a recent piece by Bill Plaschke, the Lakers weren't only concerned about the results of Williams' physical (h/t Ahn Fire Digital).
Via Los Angeles Times:
Williams has had a number of injuries during his three years in the NBA. This season, he appeared in just 44 games, although the majority of his missed games came before the Lakers tried to trade for him.
He ended the season averaging 15.3 points, 10.2 points and 1.2 blocks in 26.6 minutes per game. While there are some concerns about his overall defense at or near the rim, he's a young (23 years of age) center who is seven feet tall and 240 pounds, a good rebounder and a strong finisher at the rim.
He's an athletic physical specimen who can run the floor on fast breaks and jump high to throw down dunks off lob passes, which would've made him a great fit offensively alongside Doncic, who has succeeded while playing with big men who are lob threats in the past.
However, if Williams' physical did indeed reveal something that will lead to him being a perpetual injury risk, the Lakers did the right thing by calling off the trade.
As a result, they will continue to search for an answer at the center position in order to beef up their undersized frontline, which repeatedly got exposed and taken advantage of by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of this year's NBA playoffs.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers had multiple concerns about Mark Williams trade
Continue reading...
Just days later, they appeared to be getting exactly that type of player. The Lakers agreed to send rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round draft pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams, an up-and-coming center.
But when Williams reportedly failed his physical, the trade was rescinded. Just like that, they were forced to get by with Jaxson Hayes, who is seven feet tall and 220 pounds and has never averaged over 20.0 minutes a game for an entire season, as their only true center.
According to a recent piece by Bill Plaschke, the Lakers weren't only concerned about the results of Williams' physical (h/t Ahn Fire Digital).
Via Los Angeles Times:
Williams has had a number of injuries during his three years in the NBA. This season, he appeared in just 44 games, although the majority of his missed games came before the Lakers tried to trade for him.
He ended the season averaging 15.3 points, 10.2 points and 1.2 blocks in 26.6 minutes per game. While there are some concerns about his overall defense at or near the rim, he's a young (23 years of age) center who is seven feet tall and 240 pounds, a good rebounder and a strong finisher at the rim.
He's an athletic physical specimen who can run the floor on fast breaks and jump high to throw down dunks off lob passes, which would've made him a great fit offensively alongside Doncic, who has succeeded while playing with big men who are lob threats in the past.
However, if Williams' physical did indeed reveal something that will lead to him being a perpetual injury risk, the Lakers did the right thing by calling off the trade.
As a result, they will continue to search for an answer at the center position in order to beef up their undersized frontline, which repeatedly got exposed and taken advantage of by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of this year's NBA playoffs.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers had multiple concerns about Mark Williams trade
Continue reading...
