Ranking potential backup big men candidates for the Lakers

4. Marcin Gortat

Confession: Marcin Gortat’s tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers was so brief and uneventful I nearly forgot it happened at all. Seriously, I had to look up what had become of his career. Had he been traded and cut without anyone noticing? Had he been out of the league for an entire season or two now? Was he playing overseas? When was the last time he was in the NBA?

The answer is that he played 47 games for the Clips last year, eventually being waived in February to make way for Montrezl Harrell and Ivica Zubac. Suffice it to say this is the Lakers’ last resort.

Pros:

• His nickname is The Polish Hammer. That’s pretty dope, and if we’re continuing the rock analogy from the last slide, hammers are typically stronger than rocks.
• He looks like if Kratos from God of War pursued an NBA career.
• So the Clippers thought they were smooth hiring Tyronn Lue after the Lakers couldn’t seal the deal, huh? Well how about this, Jerry West?? How do you like them — what’s that? You don’t care? Oh. Never mind then.
• He’s a warm body with NBA experience.

Cons:

• Gortat is the oldest player on the list at 35 years old, and only managed 16.0 minutes per game last year.
• He’s not the rim deterrent the Lakers need, averaging less than one block per game in each of the last three seasons.
• His lovable tendency to speak his mind isn’t always conducive to locker room chemistry. The Lakers have had (and will continue to have) enough problems on that front.