After a surprisingly disappointing playoff loss, the Los Angeles Lakers need to significantly upgrade their frontcourt this offseason.
Heading into their first-round NBA Playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, many believed that the Los Angeles Lakers would have their hands full. However, I'm not sure many predicted that the Wolves would outlast the Lakers to win the series. Nevertheless, that's exactly what transpired with the Wolves upsetting the Lakers in five games to advance to the Western Conference semifinals. The Lakers, on the other hand, head into the offseason as huge disappointments.
This series may end up saying more about Anthony Edwards and the Wolves in the long run, but there is no question that this loss to the Wolves revealed a pretty big weakness for the Lakers. After the game, Rui Hachimura echoed that when he said the team needed someone who could "get rebounds."
LeBron James hinted that the team's playstyle of playing with virtually no center hurt them, even insinuating the team probably shouldn't have traded Anthony Davis.
Interestingly enough, after trading AD for Luka Doncic at the NBA Trade Deadline, the team also attempted to acquire Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. Logistically speaking, you'd imagine that move, had it been completed, would've helped the team in this series, especially in Game 5, where Rudy Gobert went for 27 points and 24 rebounds. However, that trade deadline deal would be rescinded for whatever reason.
The Lakers' biggest offseason need
At this point, as the team moves forward with Luka as their focal point, finding a difference-making center or big man has to be considered a huge priority for the team. Is the lack of a consistent center the biggest reason why the Lakers lost to the Wolves? That's hard to say with any sense of confidence. However, there's no question that a strong force at the center position would've certainly made a difference for the team.
From a big picture perspective, there are several upgrades that the Lakers need to make this summer if they want to reemerge as a contender of any sort in the Western Conference next season. On top of adding a legit center to their roster, they'll also need to solidify their overall depth. In this series, the Lakers' non-starters averaged less than 18 points per game. That's not going to cut it for a team that believed they had an outside chance of contending for a title this season.
Even the Lakers' third-most important player during the regular season, Austin Reaves, took a bit of a step back in the postseason. He was less productive and less efficient. Generally speaking, your best players are supposed to raise their game in the NBA Playoffs. That didn't happen for the Lakers, and that's one of the biggest reasons why their season is now over.