After not being able to land LaMarcus Aldridge, the Los Angeles Lakers moved to Plan B which featured trading for Roy Hibbert and signing Lou Williams and Brandon Bass. With the addition of the three veterans, the Lakers have a nice mix to go along with D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson.
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The addition of Williams was arguably the biggest surprise of the three players brought in. The veteran guard is the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year and still at the top of his game. Williams talked about what he plans to bring to the Lakers next season, via Lakers reporter Mike Trudell:
Williams: "I’ve always prided myself on making plays, whether for myself or somebody else. Winning + creating plays (has been) my goal."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) July 22, 2015
Williams will bring some offensive firepower to the Lakers roster next season along with Nick Young. The real question is whether Young and Williams can coexist on the floor at the same time, but the more offensive weapons off the bench the better.
The veteran guard averaged a career-high 15.5 points per game last season for the Toronto Raptors helping lead that team to a division title. Williams is clearly an upgrade along with Hibbert on the defensive side of the floor and Bass at the forward position.
Although the Lakers were unable to land a big-name player in free agency, signing Williams, Bass and trading for Hibbert were steps in the right direction. Los Angeles may not be the Western Conference powerhouse of old, but they may end up being much better than expected.
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