Monta Ellis: Trade scenarios involving the Golden State Warriors guard – NBA Feature (Part-4)
Los Angeles Lakers:
The Los Angeles Lakers have been the most successful sides of the league in the last decade. They are the only team to have achieved the three peat in the last ten years and were well on their way to achieve yet another last season,
but their journey towards a sixth title met an unexpected end at the hands of the eventual champions, the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals.
In a series that was billed to the battle of the titans, the Mavs simply took the Lakers apart and handed them their worst ever thrashing in playoffs series. The Lakers were emphatically swept and after that fiasco, the Lakers
will surely be looking to add some strength to their roster.
This is not only due to the fact that most of the elite teams in the league have sorted them out over the period of the last few years. The rise of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies in the West, and Miami Heat and
Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference, poses a serious threat to the dominance of the Lakers and if they do not make a move quickly, the legacy of the Lakers might become a thing of the past.
Thus, to say that the Lakers need some fresh blood urgently would be an understatement. However, with that, they also need to weed out the players, who consider themselves above the team - Andrew Bynum.
There is absolutely no doubt that Bynum is a man with exceptional skills, but he has also got a huge ego.
That would be OK under normal circumstances. However with Kobe Bryant, the man who has been the architect of five championship rings in the last 10 years, still holding the alpha dog tag, Bynum’s antics have proved to be troublesome
for the Lakers.
Kobe has an ego inflated like none other. However, he is untouchable. Even at 33, he is still considered as one of the best players in the league and can surely take the Lakers to glory once again.
Late in the Lakers post season run, Bynum was very vocal about how he was not being given a decent role on the offense, but the fact is that great players make their own plays and do not rely on other to make it for them. Bynum
is nowhere near ‘great’, and yet he keeps on complaining about his role and the trust issues.
The Lakers need to get rid of him and if they can get Monta Ellis in return from the Golden State Warriors in return, they will be in a win-win situation.
All Kobe needs is someone to back him up, if Pau Gasol fails to deliver. With Monta alongside, he and the Lakers will have that extra oomph on the offense.
Even the Warriors will have nothing to lose.
The Warriors will get a big on their back court and a good one at that. While there are some question marks on Bynum’s offensive abilities, one thing is for sure, that the seven foot centre is a beast on the D. He is an on court
leader and once in the Oakland franchise, he will have a chance to prove his offensive credentials more freely. The likes of Stephen Curry, David Lee and Dorell Wright will also be able to play more freely if that happens.
With Monta, the trio had to take extra responsibility on the defense and with Bynum in the ranks; they would be able to express themselves more naturally.
For the Lakers, if Monta comes in, he can play at the point guard position, a place where the Lakers need enforcements especially after Derek Fisher gave clear indications last season that he is on his last legs.
This move will also provide the opportunity for Monta Ellis to polish his game under the greatest shooting guards of all time. And when Kobe does hang his boots, the Lakers will be ready with a more than a decent replacement.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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