ESPN famous reporter Dave McMenamin wrote an article to analyze the hidden dangers faced by the Lakers in the new season, some of which are as follows.
The Lakers still have hidden worries in the center position, and their every move has attracted much attention, so this potential problem may be more obvious than other competitors' problems.
coach JJ Redick abandoned Hayes in the first round of the series against Minnesota (he played for no more than 9 minutes in any of the series and was hidden in the last game), the Lakers signed a new starting center DeAndre Aiton. The contract cost $16.6 million in two years, while Ayton could have received $35.6 million from the Portland Trail Blazers. It was a good deal for the 27-year-old No. 2018 No. 2 pick. He averaged 16.4 points per game (59% shooting percentage), 10.5 rebounds and 1 block in his career.
However, since the 2023 playoffs, Ayton has rarely participated in any important games. He missed a knockout match with a rib injury at the Phoenix Suns (G6 in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, which was eventually eliminated by the Nuggets 2-4), and he was traded to Portland soon after, despite being the starting center of the Suns who made the finals in 2021.
Lakes' other options for center position include Hayes, Kleber, who returned as a substitute (he only played one game after joining the Lakers from the Luca Doncic trade due to a fractured right foot), and Vanderbilt, who played a cameo center in the small ball lineup (lost 99 games due to injury in the past two seasons).
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