Lakers sign a blockbuster! The trade deadline was nothing, but the Lakers made a lot of money in the buyout market. Dinwiddie will sign with the Lakers after a clarification period.
Because of injuries and other reasons, Dinwiddie is no longer the Dinwiddie of the past. But the Lakers got Dinwiddie with only the base salary, which is still a worthy thumbs up. For base-salary players, it's normal that they can't play, and it's a surprise to play. Dinwiddie is not a problem player, and he only needs to be a surprise if he breaks out on the occasional occasion and contributes at certain key moments. With Dinwiddie, the Lakers have more depth in their roster and are more confident in fighting injuries.
James also has high expectations for Dinwiddie. Speaking about Dinwiddie, James said: "He's playmaking, he's another ball-handler and can create a lot of shots, he's an experienced veteran and any time you add a veteran with that ability, it's helpful, so let's see what happens." ”
Pelinka said in an interview: "Dinwiddie is back in his hometown and where his basketball journey began. His playmaking ability and attacking prowess at the back provide us with valuable squad depth that will play an important role as we try to impact the second half of the season. ”
Pelinka also said that the team will make a strong impact in the second half of the season. The Lakers are now ranked ninth in the West, and their goal is naturally to finish in the top six in the West, so that they can directly qualify for the playoffs. Although the Lakers are strong in the play-offs, the cost of one more play-off game is huge, and what the Lakers fear most is attrition. As we all know, because James is old and the thick eyebrows have injury concerns, the Lakers definitely don't like to play in the play-offs. The play-offs are a winner-or-lose game, and the opponents will fight hard, and even if the Lakers can win, they will shed a few layers of skin. It will be difficult for the Lakers to break into the top six in the West. The Lakers are 35 wins, less than 30 games left in the regular season, chasing 35 wins, the Lakers need to play a wave of consecutive wins.
The Lakers have been on good momentum lately, losing to the Nuggets again, but winning several other games. Including upset beats to the Celtics, as well as back-to-back beats to the Knicks. The trade deadline has passed, the Lakers' players no longer have to worry about being traded, and James can't count on the team to be reinforced. For the rest of the season, the Lakers can only work together if they want to improve their record. Of course, after signing Dinwiddie, they can also continue to strengthen the buyout market.
Lakers reporter Jovan Buha said the Lakers still have some reinforcement needs. The Lakers' three-point game has picked up recently, but the team lacks an off-ball shooter who can draw the attention of the opposition's defense, and the defense on the wing and interior needs to be strengthened, and the Lakers' defensive efficiency has dropped to 20th in the league in the last month.
With the Lakers' first team full of 15 players, the Lakers would have to cut one of their base-salary players: Reddish, Wood or Hayes if they want to continue to make reinforcements. So far, it's unclear if the Lakers consider buying out the remaining players in the market as an upgrade option. The Lakers can also expect a return for Vincent. Last offseason, Vincent was one of the Lakers' most important signings. Vincent didn't sign with a base salary, but the Lakers signed with a mid-range exception. In order to sign Vincent, the Lakers also forwent renewing Schroder's contract.
Vincent's appeal to the Lakers is due to his excellent playoff performance last season. But after joining the Lakers, Vincent was inefficient and suffered two injuries in three days. Vincent is expected to return at the end of the season, and if he can regain his playoff performance from last season, it would be a huge boost for the Lakers. The question is, can Vincent really get back to the top? If Vincent was a flash in the pan last season, the Lakers will have to worry about Vincent next season.