Kemba Walker to LA, is that something that will get LeBron, AD and the Lakers back to the NBA Finals? Most importantly will it give them a better chance of hoisting their second Larry O’Brien trophy in three years?
This week rumors have been swirling around that the newly acquired Oklahoma City Thunder guard, Walker, could be on the move to this year’s seventh seed out of the West, the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal would reportedly include the 2020 NBA champions giving up Kyle Kuzma and a 1st round pick for Walker’s services.
On paper this could be a good deal. Perhaps even a steal for LA. However, there’s one enormous elephant in the room. Will Walker be able to stay healthy enough for the Lakers to make a title run? Because let’s be real, any team that LeBron is on (let alone the Lakers) are expected to compete for championships every season.
The obvious answer to that question is we don’t know, which presents a problem for a franchise with such high expectations. It’s not even just the expectations either. The team’s best player will be 37 and not to mention they’ll already be playing with a chip on their shoulder after surprisingly getting bounced in the first round of this year’s playoffs by the Phoenix Suns.
Can Walker be the elusive third star for the Lake Show?
As we all know injuries played a role in what happened to the Lakers this season. Anthony Davis went down with Achilles/calf issues, and LeBron went down with a high ankle sprain. That resulted in LA going from the fourth seed in the West to the seventh. Furthermore, they wound up having to compete in the play-in tournament to solidify their spot in the postseason.
With all of that being said, if the team’s two leaders go down again this upcoming season (knock on wood for the Lakers fans out there), wouldn’t their potential third star need to have a reputation of being physically durable?
If so, Walker wouldn’t be it.
He was a part of the underachieving Boston Celtics this year, who finished with a 36-36 record and the seventh seed.
During this regular season Walker only played 43 out of 72 games due to injuries. Moreover, he’s played a full 82-game regular season only twice in his eight-year career.
And where does Dennis Schroder fit in all of this?
Lastly, the value of this deal would greatly depend on what Dennis Schröder decides to do. Reports say he wants a very lucrative contract this year. If that’s true, the Lakers likely won’t be able to pay him. They have other contracts to worry about as well. Therefore, if he doesn’t come back Walker would be a great help; but it would be rolling the dice due to what both bring to the table.
Schröder is a great perimeter defender, but streaky offensively. Walker is explosive offensively (and quite streaky), but doesn’t play much defense. So, if this deal goes down, will this be a good move? More like risky at best.
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