Luc Mbah a Moute
Luc Mbah a Moute may not be a very popular name amongst casual NBA fans, but what he brings is what this Lakers team could potentially lack: perimeter defense.
Hypothetically speaking, let’s just say it’s the second round of the playoffs and the Lakers are matched up against a team that has a great wing scorer like Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, or James Harden, and Avery Bradley is having a hard time containing him due to his small stature.
On the contrary, Mbah Moute is 6-foot-8 has a strong body frame and has had a solid 11-year NBA career known as a versatile defender.
Though Mbah a Moute is slightly older now, has lost a step or two defensively, and is exclusively used as a four in today’s NBA, he is still worth taking a flyer on (he’s actually played more recently compared to Tony Allen and Thabo Sefolosha, despite it being only 4 games).
After all, not only does the defensive IQ tend to remain the same for any defender, but even though Igoudala may keep himself in great shape and is a highly coveted veteran by many contending teams, he is still 35 and turning 36 in January. The Lakers’ priority should be balance, i.e., heavily favoring offense over defense can backfire and only get you so far.