39 points, 34 points, 28 points! The Lakers made a new big move, Pelinka canceled **, saving 15 first-round picks. This move caused quite a stir among the fans, and also made the future direction of the team full of uncertainties. Behind this figure is a deliberate decision by the team management, which could mean a reassessment of the quality of their existing players, or some new variables in the transfer market. The Lakers' new move makes people can't help but have more reverie about the future development of the team.The Lakers played double overtime with the Warriors before, and finally won 145-144, and the physical advantage and offensive power of James and thick eyebrows in that game were really strong. James had 36 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists, and thick eyebrows also had 29 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks. There is also a new discovery, that is, Russell, against the Warriors, cut 28 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, and the statistics are quite critical. Recently, Shuila's form has really increased, but he was also relegated to the bench by Ham, and the Lakers are fiercely competitive, and Russell is back on his feet.
For the Lakers, they now face a difficult choice between continuing with their current roster or taking the risk of a different star. The Hawks, who have been dealing with the Lakers before, have been in talks about a trade for Murray. But as Russell's form picked up, the Lakers began to wonder if they were going to trade. According to Stein of The Athletic, the bargaining chips in the negotiations between the Lakers and the Hawks are Russell, a '29 first-round pick and a first-round pick in exchange for Murray.
The key player in the trade talks between the two sides is Reaves, whom the Hawks want but the Lakers see as the unshakable core. But now the question is no longer Reaves, but the Lakers are considering whether it makes sense to trade Russell and Murray in exchange. Stein revealed that the Lakers seem to have reclaimed ** recently. The Hawks are also confused, as the Lakers' attitude has recently begun to become ambiguous, and they have begun to hesitate. In fact, it is understandable that Pelinka, in exchange for anyone, will begin to doubt their choice.
In January, Russell's performance was like a hanging, two games easily broke 30, one of which actually soared to 39 points, and one game easily exceeded 34 points, and the rest of the time was also a continuous score, both of which were above 25 points. Especially in the six recent games played by the Lakers, Russell actually scored more than 20 points. In the last eight games, Russell's performance has been even more terrifying, averaging 27 per game5 points, and also sent 6He had 4 assists and shot 52% from the field and an astonishing 54% from three-point range.
Now Russell is firmly on the Lakers' nominal third giant, and he does bring enough impact to the team. Moreover, he is not yet 28 years old and is in the prime of his defender career. Looking back at the past few trades of the Lakers, overall, except for the necessary operation of Stud to get thick eyebrows, the other trades do not seem to be so satisfactory. For example, after winning the championship in 20, the Lakers dismantled many core players, resulting in the inability of new signings to integrate smoothly, and finally went out in the first round of the playoffs in 21. In 22 years, the Lakers did not hesitate to stud out less, but the playoffs still did not enter the expected state.
Looking back at last season, the Lakers sent Wei Shao away through a trade before the playoffs in exchange for a batch of instant power, and finally entered the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers' operation over the past few years seems to be less reliable than the big gamble on the thick eyebrows. Now, it's hard to say for sure if Murray can do better than Russell. The price paid by the Lakers is not small, after all, the 29-year first-round pick is still quite valuable, plus a first-round swap right, it is almost the most important bargaining chip for the Lakers so far.
The Lakers roster is also considered strong now, and they successfully defeated the powerful Clippers Big Three and then defeated the Thunder with full strength. However, the biggest problem for the Lakers right now is that they can't maintain a high level of offense and defense all the time. James' age has made the team's form less stable. But when it comes to the entire series, the Lakers are an unexpected dark horse. If the Lakers can make the playoffs and finish seventh or eighth, the first and second teams in the West will have some headaches. Because as long as the Lakers are in good shape, they still have some strength.