Lakers’ Wing Play Needs Help When LeBron James Isn’t Playing

After starting the season averaging just above 32 minutes per game, LeBron James is now averaging just under 35 minutes per game this season and has averaged 40.6 minutes per game this month! The main reason why LeBron is playing more and more minutes is because the Lakers have not been receiving reliable players from their wings. 

Kyle Kuzma, Markieff Morris and Talen Horton-Tucker are the three main guys the Lakers have been moving around in their rotations on the wing and all three are solid players, but have been really inconsistent of late. All three guys combined are averaging 22.1 points per game and shooting a combined 32.4% from beyond-the-arc. 

This simply will not cut it if this team is going to win another championship, which is why bringing in Wayne Ellington makes a lot of sense. Not only will their overall production on the wing increase, but the overall team chemistry will be better because of the opportunities on the wing. 

Wayne Ellington has turned himself into an elite level three-point shooter and as we mentioned earlier, he ranks second in the league in three-point shooting percentage. The lift and spark he could give this team off-the-bench would be tremendous and he could even become the Lakers’ best scoring threat on the wing off-the-bench. 

Having a low price with the production he can bring on offense, it makes total sense for the Lakers to go after a veteran guy like Wayne Ellington near this season’s NBA trade deadline.