"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what you need around LeBron and AD" - Danny Green shares his thoughts on LA Lakers' roster construction
The LA Lakers are the only winless team in the NBA this season. The Lakers are also the worst 3-point shooting team in the league. Former Lakers guard Danny Green has shared his thoughts on the roster construction around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
In an appearance on "The Crossover" podcast with Howard Beck and Chris Mannix, Green discussed the current struggles of the Lakers. The three-time champ understood what the team did when they broke up their championship roster. He also pointed out the obvious lack of shooting of the current team.
"I mean we know what happened, things have changed," Green said. "They have Dennis (Schröder) back now for cheaper. I thought he was a good fit for them. I thought there was a lot of good pieces that were good fits for them that they let go or traded away and they thought they had a better fit. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what you need around LeBron (James) and AD."
It was clear to Danny Green that the LA Lakers front office should have prioritized surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis with shooters. The two superstars had some really good shooters in that title-winning team, as well as perimeter defenders.
In addition to Green, the 2020 Lakers also had Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Jared Dudley and Markieff Morris. The Lakers front office decided to blow up their roster last season when they acquired Russell Westbrook and let go of Caruso.
The results were disastrous for the Lakers last season. The team had no chemistry and was just too old. They failed to make the playoffs for the second time since "The King" arrived.
General manager Rob Pelinka decided to get younger by signing role players in free agency, as well as getting Patrick Beverley in a trade. However, the Lakers have shot their way to the bottom of the standings. They have made just 45 3-point shots from 177 attempts this season.
To listen to Danny Green's appearance on "The Crossover" podcast with Howard Beck and Chris Mannix, click here.
Can the LA Lakers improve their roster?
The season is still early for the LA Lakers and it's not time to hit the panic button. They are winless after five games, and there are 77 games left in the season. However, the Lakers will need to start knocking down outside shots if they want to improve their season.
Opposing teams are giving them open shots, they just can't connect from deep. General manager Rob Pelinka will reportedly wait for 20 games before deciding on the team's roster, as per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
"I'm told to expect Rob Pelinka and the Lakers to wait until post-Thanksgiving," Wojnarowski said. "20 games into the season and see what teams may start pivoting. Who don't start off well, who decide that they may start to unload players and perhaps get involved in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes to get down in the lottery."
The LA Lakers' main trade chip will be Russell Westbrook and their two unprotected first round picks in 2027 and 2029. The Lakers have no other choice but to be competitive because the New Orleans Pelicans can swap picks for next year's coveted draft.