Once again, the Los Angeles Lakers are at the center of the basketball world. Following a massive ownership change and a roster already packed with star players, fans are expecting another championship run.
As the Lakers seek to maximize their opportunity with LeBron James and Luka Dončić, one former NBA champion believes that no major overhaul is needed. He thinks that just a few small adjustments could be the key.
Markieff Morris Offers His Thoughts on Lakers’ Title Hopes
Markieff Morris, who has actually played with James and Dončić, thinks the Lakers are already close to title contention. While some are saying the Lakers should make big changes like trading Austin Reaves, Morris recommends that they should only focus on small tweaks. He suggests the Lakers sign one dominant center like Nikola Jokić.
Morris, on ESPN’s “Get Up,” addressed Dončić’s future with the team. “I think ultimately, Luka does re-sign,” he said. “Now, is it four years? Is it two years? But, ultimately, I think he will be there.”
Morris then turned his thoughts toward the Lakers’ roster. “What I think they need to make happen to the roster, I think it’s minor tweaks,” he said. “You’re in a position where LeBron has maybe two years left and he’s trying to win right now, so I don’t think bringing in a ton of new pieces and revamping the team makes a lot of sense.”
Reflecting on the team’s recent performance, Morris said the Lakers were very close to winning and don’t need a major overhaul. “So it’s just minor tweaks,” Morris said. “You may get a big in there.” However, he doesn’t think it’s worth breaking up the core to do so.
Morris offered his thoughts, then, on how the team should move forward. He prefers keeping the same core players together and believes the team should focus on developing through training and internal growth.
He also suggested that adding a big man could help, even mentioning one of the league’s best centers, Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
So, Morris not only pointed out the most important issue the Lakers are facing, but he also offered a solution. Since Anthony Davis moved to the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers have struggled at the center position.
They somehow managed to reach the NBA playoffs, but they could not maintain that success.
Keeping the current core of James, Dončić, and Reaves helps the Lakers maintain strong chemistry among players. With James nearing 41 and Dončić’s future uncertain, time to achieve something big may be shorter than expected.
Morris suggests that bringing in a top-tier center, rather than making major changes to the lineup, would be enough to stabilize the team. It’s not that the Lakers’ front office doesn’t know how badly they need someone in this position.
With new ownership, star power, and just a few smart moves, the Purple-and-Gold could be back in the race for their 18th NBA title. Trading Reaves might be another disastrous move, similar to what happened after trading Davis.
