Double timeline of East James! New players Ayton + Smart + Laravia What level can the Lakers be in the new season?

The countdown to the new season is 30 days. Looking back on last season, how do you evaluate the Los Angeles Lakers who have been in the first round for two consecutive years?

On February 3 this year, the Lakers completed a super heavy deal. They sent away Thick Brows and exchanged Doncic for a time, which once detonated the entire basketball circle.

The good news is that a James fell from the sky to build a team after retirement, and the bad news is that the Lakers' inside line is basically in a vacuum after the trade: Hayes is the starter, Ryan is not easy to use, and the substitute electric fan actually averages 28.8 minutes of small ball centers per game. The "Death Five" fight for bayonets is the norm for the Lakers in the second half of the last season.

The sequelae brought by this heavy exchange for core inside the outside cornerstone is clear at a glance in the playoffs, especially when your opponent is the Timberwolves, which have large frontcourt players such as Gobert, Randle, and Reed, the Lakers were beaten up without any accident in the interior - Randle 20+ in 4 games, Reed G1 scored 23 points and the three-point shooting percentage in the series was as high as 50.0%, Gobert G5 scored 27 points and 24 rebounds in his career!

The Lakers have only Hayes, the only one in the inside. It is inevitable that the single center lineup will cause the inside to be exploded. What really kills the Lakers is actually his own single-soldier defense.

Doncic was beaten by McDaniels. Huazi, who averaged 26.8 points per game in the series, chased Reeves and Vincent. Randall averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game against the Lakers, and his three-point shooting percentage was 39.3% (2.2/5.6). He had the upper hand in the match against James/Hamamura.

Old James is too old to do anything. Reeves and Doncic are colandered in the backcourt. Whether the Lakers are playing Hayes's inside and four outside, or the five-forward lineup with electric fans playing the center, the most uncomfortable point is undoubtedly the single defense against the opponent.

In short, it is not unfair to stop the first round in the inside + defense. The first major event the Lakers experienced during the offseason was undoubtedly that Jenny Bus sold the team for $10 billion on June 19, and the new boss team did not reach a contract renewal with James.

On the one hand, James wanted to strengthen the inside line in the era of James and Mei, but the management never introduced a strong center, and even sent away Davis; on the other hand, James wanted to win in the present, while the Lakers' management valued the future more and was unwilling to invest future assets to compete for the championship at all costs. The Lakers' team building idea is obviously contrary to James' current demands.

James is now 40 years old and 266 days old. He will be 41 years old on December 30 this year. Considering his age factor, the Lakers are not strongly willing to renew their contract. At the instruction of the new boss, the Lakers even publicly stated that they would not provide James with a contract renewal. Obviously, the new boss is more inclined to clear James's salary space of more than 50 million in 2026 and completely strengthen Doncic.

In other words, James, who is over 40 years old, is no longer the number one core of the Lakers' team building. James executed the $52.6 million player option one day before the free market officially opened, which is the wisest decision for personal reasons.

If James jumps out of the contract and becomes a complete free agent, he can only join a weak team with salary space, and gets the money but has no hope of winning the championship; James implements the player option to ensure that $52.6 million is the first to be put into the pocket in the new season, so he can stay in the Lakers to compete for the championship in the new season, and can also apply for a trade to leave the team at the latest before the trading deadline (a contract of 52.6 million a year) - Theoretically, as long as the trading balance principle is in line with the principle of trading balance, James can leave the Lakers to any team by applying for a trade.

From the perspective of the Lakers' management, the 41-year-old veteran in the new season has an annual salary of over 50 million, which is obviously not conducive to the championship. With Doncic, James' stay or leave is no longer important.

After the Lakers opened the free market, they lost the electric fan early, strengthening the inside and defense were the focus of recruitment throughout the offseason.

After the Lakers were poached by the Rockets, they signed Lalavia for 12 million in two years.

Laravia is 23 years old now, 201 cm tall, and averaged 42.3% of three-point shooting percentage last season! He is a forward player with shooting and defense. He does not occupy the ball and has its own 3D attributes. It is basically enough to play a substitute space point next to Dong Zhan in the new season.

The Lakers also signed 2018 No. 1 pick Ayton with 16.6 million in 2 years, with an average annual average of only 8 million+, which is invincible in cost performance. As the best candidate for starting center, Ayton's pick-and-roll cooperation with Doncic is worth looking forward to.

It is certain that Ayton > Hayes, and Hayes has one year left to have a contract. The Lakers have Ayton + Hayes at the same time in the new season, and the depth of the inside is better than last season.

The Lakers used 11 million yuan in two years to introduce defensive champion Smart. He was selected as the Best Defensive First Team three times and was elected as the Best Defensive Player of the Year in the 2021-22 season. His defensive strength is unquestionable. The only hidden danger is age and health. Smart is now 31 years old and has played in a total of 54 games due to injuries in the past two seasons. As long as health can be guaranteed, as a substitute, the reserve of a big defensive lock will undoubtedly increase the depth of the lineup.

The Lakers signed Laravia (average average of 6 million+ per year), Aiton (average average of 8 million+ per year), and Smart (average average of 5.5 million+ per year) at a bargain price during the offseason. Although there were fewer electric fans, there were two more strong players, especially targeted strengthening the inside and defense. The entire paper lineup was indeed better than last season.

The Lakers are in the hands of East Zhan in the new season, and they are in the double timeline team building mode.

On the one hand, James will be 41 years old on December 30 in the new season, and James + Doncic + Reeves' three cores are still the guarantee of the Lakers' competitiveness.

Last season, the Lakers lost 50 wins and 32 losses, third in the West; in the new season, the Lakers' core framework has not changed, and there are three new players, Ayton, Smart and Laravia. In theory, it is not difficult to reach 50 wins and the ranking of the top half of the West..

In short, avoid playoffs, advanced playoffs, and then striving for the championship, and make good use of James' peak tail. This is the current team building model of the Lakers.

Ayton, Hachimura Shizuo, James, Reeves, Doncic, this group will be the best five-man group for the Lakers.

On the other hand, the Lakers have made an early layout for the future timeline.

Doncic is 26 years old, Reeves is 27 years old, Ayton is 27 years old, Laravia is 23 years old, Haymura is 27 years old, Hays is 25 years old, and Kneckett is 24 years old. Even if James leaves the Lakers or retires, the Lakers have built a younger lineup around Doncic, which is enough to cope with future changes and keep changing everywhere.

Next summer, James (52.6 million), Haymura Hachimura (18.26 million), Vincent (11.5 million), Kleber (11 million), and Hayes (3.45 million) are all expiring contracts, and Reeves, Ayton and Smart are player options, Kneckett is team options, and the Lakers can free up a lot of salary space to rebuild the team around Doncic starting next summer.

Emotionally, it is a pity that the Lakers failed to renew James with all their strength; rationally, a 41-year-old veteran occupies 52.6 million in salary space, is indeed not conducive to the championship!

Walking on both legs now and in the long run can also ensure future salary space. Overall, the Lakers management has done a very professional and beautiful strategic transition work this offseason.

Strive to enter the playoffs, avoid playoffs, make strategic transitions, and smooth handover of the torch, which may be the secret of the Lakers' new season.