Originally published by LakersNation.com
Although the Los Angeles Lakers made numerous moves this offseason, areas of concern remain for general manager Rob Pelinka and the front office. One spot, in particular, is the backup center position, as Kevon Looney remains the sole true center behind Walker Kessler.
If Kessler ends up missing time due to injury, it puts pressure on Looney to play 20-25 minutes a night, which may not be feasible. Pelinka has the utmost confidence in Kessler’s health so situations like that do not arise, but he knows it is an evergreen process to build a championship roster and is confident they will have enough center depth.
“Yeah, so like I said, I think to a previous question, building a roster is an evergreen process, and we’re gonna try to shore up areas that we feel like we need to, and some of those get played out with training camp at the start of the season,” Pelinka said at his preseason press conference. “You always have the trade deadline and up until then to make changes. In terms of Walker, we did such a deep dive in his medical. We’re so thankful for Chris Jones and his amazing staff. Dr. Neil ElAttrache did his surgery, so– and we work closely with Neil as well, a great doctor. And Chris and Neil had ultra confidence that this was a one-time fix and not a lingering issue or anything other than just getting his shoulder fixed. So we have…He’s fully healthy, fully cleared, and we look forward to him playing in a lot of games this year.”
It is worth mentioning that Sandro Mamukelashvili will also see time at center, but at 6’9”, he provides more of a small-ball look. Head coach JJ Redick has shown a willingness to play small, so Mamukelashvili possesses value there and provides offensive firepower with him at the five.
Having an additional center in place to prevent Looney from playing increased minutes would be beneficial. With three second-round picks available to trade, perhaps that is an area Pelinka looks at closer to the trade deadline.
Rob Pelinka outlines offseason plan he feels Lakers achieved
It was an immensely important offseason for the Lakers given LeBron James deciding to move on from the franchise. Obviously, building a contender in one transaction window is hard to do, but Pelinka needed to make considerable strides in team building.
He outlined the Lakers’ goals in terms of what made a successful summer and he believed they accomplished those goals.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
Although the Los Angeles Lakers made numerous moves this offseason, areas of concern remain for general manager Rob Pelinka and the front office. One spot, in particular, is the backup center position, as Kevon Looney remains the sole true center behind Walker Kessler.
If Kessler ends up missing time due to injury, it puts pressure on Looney to play 20-25 minutes a night, which may not be feasible. Pelinka has the utmost confidence in Kessler’s health so situations like that do not arise, but he knows it is an evergreen process to build a championship roster and is confident they will have enough center depth.
“Yeah, so like I said, I think to a previous question, building a roster is an evergreen process, and we’re gonna try to shore up areas that we feel like we need to, and some of those get played out with training camp at the start of the season,” Pelinka said at his preseason press conference. “You always have the trade deadline and up until then to make changes. In terms of Walker, we did such a deep dive in his medical. We’re so thankful for Chris Jones and his amazing staff. Dr. Neil ElAttrache did his surgery, so– and we work closely with Neil as well, a great doctor. And Chris and Neil had ultra confidence that this was a one-time fix and not a lingering issue or anything other than just getting his shoulder fixed. So we have…He’s fully healthy, fully cleared, and we look forward to him playing in a lot of games this year.”
It is worth mentioning that Sandro Mamukelashvili will also see time at center, but at 6’9”, he provides more of a small-ball look. Head coach JJ Redick has shown a willingness to play small, so Mamukelashvili possesses value there and provides offensive firepower with him at the five.
Having an additional center in place to prevent Looney from playing increased minutes would be beneficial. With three second-round picks available to trade, perhaps that is an area Pelinka looks at closer to the trade deadline.
Rob Pelinka outlines offseason plan he feels Lakers achieved
It was an immensely important offseason for the Lakers given LeBron James deciding to move on from the franchise. Obviously, building a contender in one transaction window is hard to do, but Pelinka needed to make considerable strides in team building.
He outlined the Lakers’ goals in terms of what made a successful summer and he believed they accomplished those goals.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
