At present, it is severely imbalanced 😕How can Luca match the Lakers with a lineup? Gafford? Jones Jr.

What players do the Lakers need to equip Luca with? This summer is crucial for the Lakers, and they will decide which players to equip around Luca Doncic. With the Lakers aiming to make a full transition to the Luca Doncic era, this crucial summer will determine which players should surround their new superstars. This assessment is likely based on the skill set that complements him most during his most successful moments in his NBA career, as well as the recent exposure in the playoffs.

It all starts with finding the right pick-and-roll partner. Every ball-holding offensive creator needs to be equipped with a suitable inside partner on the offensive end. Thales Halliburton and Miles Turner, as well as Shea Alexander and Chet Holmegren, are several pairs of major successes.

Doncic longs for a big player with a very specific skill set around him, and it's no secret. The primary requirement is the candidate who can effectively work above the basket and complete the end of the air relay.

The Los Angeles Lakers have center Jaxson Hayes, who is seven feet tall (about 2.13 meters), who theoretically plays this offensive role in the regular season. Please see the picture below: Doncic summons Hays to come forward to set cover, and then find him to complete the air relay.

Doncic breaks into the middle. Once he finds that the defense does not double-team the ball, or double-teams are slow, the free pass will be sent from above. According to the NBA's tracking data, when Hayes and Doncic were on the court at the same time, the team's offensive efficiency value reached 116.5, and the net efficiency value was +8.3.

However, the playoffs exposed Hayes' inability to avoid being in foul trouble and the defense fails to meet the basic requirements for playing, which ultimately led to him losing the trust of head coach JJ Redick and his coaching team. Therefore, a team with Doncic as its core, its center can't just jump up and complete the aerial relay. They need to be able to protect the rim and make up for the mistakes that teammates will surely make on the defensive end.

Doncic achieved the greatest success of his career last season, when he was surrounded by all-time finishers such as Lefly and Gafford. They not only completed the finish efficiently at the basket, but also effectively protected the frame.

The Lakers had only one center available in the playoffs and eventually had to use a lineup consisting of only wings and guards that simply had no foothold on the defensive end.

Although we can expect Doncic to make as much progress as possible on the defensive end, he always needs defense protection, which makes who will play the center position the most critical part of the Lakers offseason.

Another clear need surrounding any top ball holder is the necessary shooting ability. After completing Doncic's trade, the Lakers ranked ninth in the league in three-point shooting percentage, but ranked fourth in the league in three-point shooting per game.

Any team with Doncic will create a large number of high-quality mobile phone opportunities for the players around you. The key is that Doncic is not just passing the ball to his teammates, he will pass the ball to specific positions and areas on the court. This space arrangement allows him to complete the pass at the last minute after completely attracting the defensive attention.

Please see the picture below: Doncic broke through with the ball and entered the paint area, then took off and completed a round pass, passing the ball to Hachimura in the corner, helping him hit a three-pointer in the bottom corner.

Doncic needs to be equipped with players who are willing to shoot. The Lakers' "Five Foreigners" lineup was extremely efficient at the end of the season, with a net efficiency value of +18.6 during the regular season. This combination of shooting ability and all offensive creativity makes the Lakers optimistic when entering the playoffs.

However, in the playoffs, this lineup struggled against the physical confrontation and body shape advantage of playoff basketball. The problem with the Lakers is not only about having pitchers, but also about whether these pitchers can be reasonably optimized and whether they can also have an impact on the defensive end.

This leads to the next urgent need for the Lakers: a sports player with excellent defensive influence. Trying to find a player with both offense and defense is difficult, and it is also a difficult problem for all teams, but the Lakers need to find more defensive balance to succeed with Doncic next season.

Doncic played side by side with different defensive players during the 2024 Finals, including Derek Jones, and the team arranged for him to defend Anthony Edwards, who was able to not only stick to the defense, but also interfere at high positions.

Please see the picture below: Edwards tries to complete a single at the top of the arc, but Jones seems to "mirrors" his moves on the defensive end, taking the spot first and forcing him to hand over the ball.

Here is another example at a critical moment: Edwards tried to create space by dribbling, but Jones' 7-foot (about 2.13 meters) wingspan allowed him to interfere with it at the highest point.

The Lakers don't have to sign Jones specifically, but they definitely need this type of player, not only to provide defensive protection for Doncic, but also to fit a lineup that may include Austin Reeves and LeBron James, who will turn 41 in December.

The closest players to the defensive wing in the Lakers are Jared Vanderbilt and Jordan Goodwin. Vanderbilt was unable to stay healthy and always fouled in defense, making it difficult to be trusted; while Goodwin was unable to be entrusted with important tasks due to lack of experience.

Doncic has proved that as long as he has the right lineup around him, he can lead the team to the promised land of winning the championship. This summer, the Lakers still have a lot of work to do in building a lineup.