The Lakers’ frontcourt was already a strength and it just got even better

The Los Angeles Lakers doubled down this offseason on what helped them win the NBA championship by adding Montrezl Harrell and Marc Gasol.

There seemed to be a challenge for some in diagnosing what made the 2019-20 Lakers special aside from their incredible star power at the top of the roster. They had size but not at every position. There was shooting, but not a ton. It was hard to even say who their third-best player was. But even a few minutes of watching that Lakers squad made it clear.

These Lakers were overwhelming. Every player was strong, tough, and physical, and all the parts were interchangeable as a result. Los Angeles could throw out a lineup with five guys over 6-foot-6 or a smaller one with only one true big man, and they hardly looked different in practice.

They swarmed as one all over the court, effectively unlocking lineups with Anthony Davis at center when none of his New Orleans coaches could. Rarely did it matter if they gave up some size around the rim because when the Lakers were locked in, teams were hard-pressed to even get there in the first place. The four other guys discouraged that kind of thing by way of the brawl that ensued on the perimeter.

The Lakers’ challenge this offseason was to maintain that hard-nosed identity with a considerable number of moving parts. Moves like the trade of Danny Green for Dennis Schroder and subsequent signing of Wes Matthews to replace Green were nice, but the area where LA will be most different in 2021 is in the frontcourt.

Because the Lakers are not yet paying the luxury tax, the team had the money to bid against other teams for at least one major addition, and that became reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell. While they got him for the reasonable price of $19 million over two years, Harrell will be a far different weapon at center than the guys who played for LA last season.

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t just get bigger, they got better and more skilled in the frontcourt too

The Lakers could afford to have limited players like JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard in the middle because of how their team defense controlled games and the fact that with Davis and LeBron James, those two weren’t relied on for scoring at all. This year, the Lakers opted for a player in Harrell who specifically would be a departure from their usual style. A combined 36.2 percent of Harrell’s scoring opportunities came in the post or as a roll man last season, according to Synergy Sports, whereas those situations for the Lakers as a whole made up just 15 percent of their total scoring mix. The way Harrell likes to operate just doesn’t jive with how the Lakers won their championship, which means both parties will have to adjust.

Still, any player who shot 68 percent in the restricted area is going to have a hell of a time playing next to James. Finding an athletic pick-and-roll partner like Davis helped James immensely last season, and Harrell can do the same. Schroder should be able to easily find chemistry with Harrell as well, just as Lou Williams did with the Clippers. With those two in big bench roles, it should be easier for the Lakers to create an easy bucket, something that was sometimes hard for them in 2019-20.

The more difficult fit will come on defense. The Lakers’ strength was, in large part, how they could shapeshift depending on the opponent to stifle offenses. Howard and McGee were part of that, with McGee as a surprisingly steady rim protector and Howard an elite deterrent, post defender and rebounder. Offenses hardly even tried shots at the basket against this team.

They will try against Harrell. Data from Bball-Index shows Harrell contested only about a third of rim attempts when he was on the floor last season and his overall contests per 75 possessions placed him in the bottom third of the NBA big men. There’s a case to be made that Harrell will benefit from better defensive talent around him; he certainly has the athleticism to be more of a force at the rim, even if his size and length hurt him.

For the most part, it won’t matter. If Harrell is solely a backup, it’s easier to limit his weaknesses and rely on him only to get buckets. The Clippers survived all year with Harrell stomping on second units and only got hurt when they over-extended him in playoff games. That shouldn’t have to happen for the Lakers.

Clearly, this is why the Lakers went after Marc Gasol, their other big addition this offseason. Almost line by line, the things Harrell struggles with can be countered by Gasol. Whereas Harrell has to be in the paint to score, Gasol has expanded his range to 3 and can still dance at the elbow in a pinch. Harrell has to be protected on defense where Gasol can anchor an elite unit. The Spaniard will likely be the team’s starter this season to give them some more traditional positionality from the opening tip.

At age 35, Gasol ranked fourth among NBA centers in Defensive Player Impact Plus-Minus and his defense was enough to make him an overall positive player despite shooting just 43 percent from the field and hardly ever getting to the free-throw line. His job in LA will be easy: space the floor, beat mismatches in the post, and defend like hell. There are few guys better equipped in the league to fill that role than Gasol, and he joins the Lakers on the minimum.

A combo of Harrell and Gasol could require some stylistic change from one lineup to the next, but this veteran Laker team should be able to handle that, especially with James calling the shots on the floor. If not, they can close games with Davis at the 5, a look which almost nobody in the NBA can match.

Switching Matthews in for Green or Schroder in for Rajon Rondo will be meaningful, but this Lakers team is driven by its frontcourt. Messing with that can be dicey. They want to insulate Davis and James without losing their tough, versatile identity.

By landing Harrell and Gasol, the Lakers ensured they will still be bigger and more overwhelming than almost any NBA team while also potentially even more malleable than before. Heading into another season where there is no clear title favorite, the Lakers were already a decent bet to repeat, but after their additions this offseason, they could be even better than the team that just won a ring.