The LA Lakers roster will receive a big boost next season, as the two players are physically at their best compared to last year.
The Los Angeles Lakers knew they had to deal with roster gaps as they entered this offseason.
Despite the Lakers groping to negotiate with Dorian Finney Smith in free agency, the franchise managed to turn things around.
Rob Perinka’s big swing had signed Jake Laravaia and DeAndre Ayton to a flexible team-friendly deal. The Lakers received some support from Luka Donsic, who helped recruit Ayton to LA.
This turned out to be another time this weekend as Donsic helped bring Marcus Smart to the Lakers after the acquisition from Wizard.
And not all hope is lost while the Lakers lose Shake Milton and Jord Goodwin in the process. Especially since it makes me feel much better as the two Lakers stars are physically heading towards a new season.
In Mark Stein’s latest edition of Steinline, he revealed that both Jarred Vanderbilt and Maxi Clever are getting much better from a physical standpoint this offseason.
Neither player was in perfect health last season, with Clever playing only one game for the Lakers. The former Mavericks big man played five minutes in Game 5 of the Lakers’ first round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“We also hear that Jarred Vanderbilt is healthier than last season, which naturally triggers the multipurpose forwards wanting to look like an offseason addition when training camp begins in late September.
“Idiot Maxi Clever, who appeared only for five minutes in Game 5 of the Lakers’ first round exit after being shipped to Lakerland on February 2nd.”
However, it appears that the Lakers will bring new stars to work next season. The motivation within the Lakers roster is contagious.
According to Stein, Marcus Smart spent a lot of time crushing this offseason. The former defensive player of the year acknowledged his conditioning issues at the Wizard. So he wanted to make sure he had a tip shape ahead of the new season.
“It’s similarly said that Smart (like Doncic) is working hard on his body this summer. Conditioning was an undeniable issue for Smart last season.
“However, during the pursuit, the Lakers were sure they would see a sophisticated version of 2021-22 DPOY.”
Landing Smart is a big boost for your team. And when he hears he’s doing his job to prepare for them, he’ll soon become a fan favorite.
JJ Redick spoke very wisely in the past. Now as the Lakers head coach, he can use Smart as a major defensive stopper