The Los Angeles Lakers have a well-documented need for wings who can provide value on both ends of the floor. It's one of the worst-kept secrets in the NBA, as Los Angeles has a roster that's flush with talent but lacking the two-way role players to act as the glue that binds the team together.
[There are paths to consider](https://lakeshowlife.com/lakers-rival-confirms-dream-trade-target-available-shocking-decision) in regard to filling that void, but it's a self-inflicted wound created by the front office's tendency to prioritize players whose value is all but exclusive to one end of the floor.
Los Angeles has a surplus of high-level offensive players, including the productive trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. It also has a sharpshooting young wing in Dalton Knecht and a proven offensive center in Deandre Ayton.
On the other end of the floor, the likes of Marcus Smart, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent are all defensive specialists known for their value at the point of attack.
That combination of players could ultimately prove tremendous in the way they balance each other's strengths and weaknesses. Unlike a vast majority of the contenders around the NBA, however, the Lakers are short on talent with clear two-way value.
Coaching and culture can go a long way toward changing a player's outlook, but only so much can be taught on the fly to create a true two-way player.
Lakers have a glaring lack of players with value on both ends of the floor
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Ayton, Doncic, Knecht, and Reaves are widely regarded as capable defenders whose consistency leaves something to be desired. Smart, Vanderbilt, and Vincent are all capable of providing value as floor-spacers, playmakers, or offensive rebounders, but lack a definitive skill to fall back on.
That's ultimately created an extraordinary burden for Rui Hachimura and Jake LaRavia to step up as players who provide reliable value on either end of the floor.
By comparison, the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder are flush with players who excel on both ends of the floor. The same could be said for the Minnesota Timberwolves, which ousted the Los Angeles Lakers and reached the Western Conference Finals for a second consecutive season.
Across the Western Conference, the best teams typically include a steady commitment to defense and multiple players who can excel at the point of attack while still offering offensive value.
Unfortunately, the Lakers currently lack a Luguentz Dort or Jaden McDaniels level wing who can offer reliable offensive production and elite defensive play. There's hope that Hachimura and LaRavia can change the narrative, but it would be an admittedly massive leap from where they are to where they aspire to be.
Even if that duo manages to do so, however, the fact remains that a vast majority of the players on the Lakers' roster aren't often trusted to play outside of their specialty on one end of the floor.
Ayton has all of the tools, but also years of inconsistency. Smart offers a share of two-way value, but has played 54 games over the past two seasons. James is still a situational force defensively, but he'll also soon turn 41. Even [Vanderbilt excels on the offensive glass](https://lakeshowlife.com/lakers-finally-jarred-vanderbilt-summer-dreaming), but is a career 28.8 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
The Lakers have talent and reason for optimism about how it can jell, but there's a glaring lack of two-way players the team continues to force itself to overcome.