The Boston Celtics took seven games to defeat the Raptors, - weren't able to get by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, - and would certainly have had everything they could handle versus the Lakers. Well, the Celtics improved ever-so-slightly, but the Lakers got significantly stronger in the last several days.
So is it safe to say at this point the Lakers won the NBA offseason (still a few weeks left)?
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) November 23, 2020
Rundown:
Montrezl Harrell (reigning 6th Man of the Yr)
Dennis Schroder (6th Man runner up)
Wesley Matthews (3 & D)
KCP (re-signed)
Marc Gasol (1x champ & 1x Defensive Player of the Yr)
Designated 6th-Man-of-the-Year, Montrezl Harrell, apparently didn't feel totally cherished in Clipper-Land and bolted to the Lakers with a 2-year deal totaling $19 million. The 6'7", 240-pound bruiser may be LA's most-valuable pickup.
Savvy veteran, Marc Gasol, also heads to the Lakers and allows his new team to play either big or small - quite a luxury. The additions of guards Dennis Schroder and Wesley Matthews dim any laments over the departure of Rajon Rondo. And the Lakers may not be done and could add another point guard via free agency or trade.
The Lakers, if they remain healthy, are a handful for any team in the NBA, and that includes Boston. The Celtics addition of Tristan Thompson was a significant and positive move for Danny Ainge, but the Lakers/Celtics comparison really comes down to each team's Dynamic Duos - Anthony Davis and Lebron James versus Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
We can assume that AD and The King peaked a while back, but the Jay Team still has room to grow. Significant surges by both Jayson and Jaylen could even things up a bit. What worries me is that Boston still has - what I call - "unknown factors" on the squad. Is another member of the team going to raise his game to a level that evens the Lakers-Celtics talent gap sufficiently to get Boston its 18th Banner? Let's hope so!
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