The NBA season is a month old now, so teams are starting to get an idea of who they can be with the trade deadline less than three months away. The Los Angeles Lakers are a little behind in that department, considering Tuesday was their first game where everyone was healthy. ESPN's Dave McMenamin wrote that the "real work" begins now for the Lakers as they determine "what needs to be shored up for the second half of the season."
A team source told McMenamin, "There's just a lot of data right now that we just don't have." The only "data" they have is Tuesday's 140-126 win over the Jazz, LeBron James's first game of the season.
Los Angeles is 11-4, fourth in the West. It was 10-4 without LeBron. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves did a great job at holding down the fort without LeBron. Dončić is averaging 34.6 points per game, and Reaves is averaging 28.1 points per game. As ESPN's Kevin Pelton noted, both are shooting poorly from three, as Dončić is shooting 31.7% from deep, and Reaves is shooting 32.6%.
It's why Pelton said the Lakers could use an "ace shooter who can hold his own defensively." Wouldn't that be nice?
Lakers are evaluating how the team looks at full strength
Los Angeles let Dorian Finney-Smith walk over the summer to sign with Houston, a move that has so far played in the Lakers' favor, but only because he hasn't played yet due to ankle surgery. He shot 39.8% from three on 4.8 attempts per game in the second half of the season for the Lakers, and he was their best perimeter defender.
If Finney-Smith were going off in Houston right now, Los Angeles might be kicking itself, knowing he is what the team is missing this season.
You know what, though? The Lakers are faring much better than most expected in the first month of the season, especially without LeBron. His availability will be a concern, but when he plays, he'll help LA with spacing and its abysmal three-point shooting. He shot 37.6% from three on 5.7 attempts per game last season. He's shooting 66.7% from deep this season, just ignore the fact that he's played one game.
The Lakers won't come anywhere close to making another league-shattering trade like they did before last season's deadline. Once more data starts to roll in about what the team looks like when fully healthy (hopefully, it'll stay that way), the front office could be active before the Feb. 5 deadline.