Fansided

Los Angeles Lakers 2015 NBA Season Preview

By Cody Williams

Oct 13, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) and coach Byron Scott react during the game against the Sacramento Kings at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) and coach Byron Scott react during the game against the Sacramento Kings at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 8, 2015; Ontario, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert (17) and Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) battle for a rebound in the first quarter of the game at Citizens Business Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2015; Ontario, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert (17) and Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) battle for a rebound in the first quarter of the game at Citizens Business Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Biggest Offseason Move

I cannot praise the Lakers enough for bringing in Roy Hibbert this offseason. For one, it was a brilliant front office move to capitalize on the Indiana Pacers wanting to move on from Hibbert when they made the trade. As a result of that, the Lakers gave up only a future second-round pick to get a player who was regarded as one of the best defenders in the game not long ago.

Hibbert may not be the player he once was, but he’s going to help this Lakers defense, even if he doesn’t have much defensive help on the perimeter and even if there’s a lot of pressure on him as a rim-protector. However, placing him alongside Julius Randle as a young frontcourt player who’s skills are not on the defensive end is perfect for Randle’s development and should help the Lakers star to make strides forward this season.

Biggest Offseason Mistake

Lou Williams is a great offensive talent, as he proved last year with the Toronto Raptors on his way to winning the Sixth Man of the Year award. Moreover, the Lakers got him at a great price as they’ll be paying him a meager $7 million per year over his three-year contract. Those are both undeniable. However, I just don’t think the fit or timing is right for the Lakers to bring in Williams.

For one, Williams is a ball-dominant guard that works often in isolation. While that could be huge to some degree if the Lakers bring him off the bench, his ball-dominance could prove to be problematic if he’s on the floor with Kobe Bryant and could potentially disrupt the development of D’Angelo Russell. Moreover, he’s a liability defensively and is coming to one of the worst defensive team in the league from last season. Bringing in Williams is the signing that a team in the playoff picture or on the edge of making the postseason would be wise to make to bolster their bench and depth. The Lakers aren’t that type of team and that leads to my doubts about how he’ll work in Los Angeles.

Next: Offensive/Defensive Breakdowns

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