{"id":98623,"date":"2024-09-30T17:27:10","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T21:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=98623"},"modified":"2024-09-30T17:27:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T21:27:10","slug":"lakers-rumors-la-inquired-about-defensive-minded-big-man-mitchell-robinson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/30\/lakers-rumors-la-inquired-about-defensive-minded-big-man-mitchell-robinson\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Rumors: LA Inquired About Defensive-Minded Big Man"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During a recent <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/hBoAjIAswWU?si=5vi_9xJ0Uy54Efs4\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">press conference<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> prior to the team\u2019s media day, Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka addressed the elephant in the room of no offseason trades made, saying he\u2019d be willing to move both future first-round picks if they led to \u201csustained Lakers excellence.\u201d The Lakers also confirmed to <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/bleacherreport.com\/articles\/10136838-10-los-angeles-lakers-observations-ahead-of-2024-25-nba-season\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bleacher Report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that adding a center remains a priority, which makes this latest rumor worth paying attention to.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Lakers Rumors: LA Inquired About Defensive-Minded Big Man<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>From the Big Apple to the City of Angels?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Sports Illustrated NBA insider Jakoba Reynolds, the Lakers have called the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/28\/knicks-making-a-needed-gamble-with-karl-anthony-towns-trade\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New York Knicks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about shot-blocking center <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/robinmi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mitchell Robinson<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Sources?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Sources<\/a> from: <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SInow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@SInow<\/a> \u2014 Surprisingly the Los Angeles <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Lakers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Lakers<\/a> have made a call to the Knicks about; Mitchell Robinson, and the talk was mainly focused around Christian Wood and Gabe Vincent. No deal has been made, and there hasn\u2019t been contact recently with both teams, per sources <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rAwF3TUUHY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/rAwF3TUUHY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Rob Murrows (@RobMurrows) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RobMurrows\/status\/1840542365569986957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers\u2019 interest in Robinson is notable after the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/30\/new-york-knicks-kat-trade\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knicks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> acquired former Timberwolves cornerstone <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/townska01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Karl-Anthony Towns<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. When it comes to starting centers, KAT is clearly the new sheriff in town, leading the Knicks into a conundrum as to what they\u2019ll do with Robinson. The 26-year-old big man averaged 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks across 31 games (21 starts) last year\u2014a mark that tied a career-low dating back to the 2020-21 season. Robinson underwent foot surgery in May and is slated to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.libertyballers.com\/2024\/9\/23\/24252351\/mitchell-robinson-knicks-foot-injury-to-miss-start-of-season-julius-randle-sixers-joel-embiid#:~:text=NEWS%3A%20Knicks%20center%20Mitchell%20Robinson,The%20Knicks&#039;%E2%80%A6&amp;text=This%20is%20quite%20the%20blow%20for%20the%20Knicks.\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">miss the first two months<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the regular season as a result.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Would Robinson Fit on the Lakers?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anthony Davis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has long expressed a desire to play next to a true center and shift back to his natural power forward slot. However, the Lakers\u2014whether it\u2019s through trades or free agency\u2014have been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/12\/anthony-davis-request-continues-to-be-unanswered-by-lakers\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reluctant to grant his wish<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The last time the Lakers paired Davis with a true five, it led to their 17th championship in franchise history. Ever since then, they have relied on AD thriving in the middle, investing in him instead of providing support around him. Acquiring Mitchell would alleviate many of the Lakers\u2019 issues\u2014even if it comes with a concerning history.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mitchell would slide right into the two-big formula that gave the Lakers the \u201csustained excellence\u201d Pelinka referred to last week. Though he\u2019s an efficient center who thrives in the paint, he excels at protecting the rim and rebounding the ball\u2014two areas that the Lakers wrestled with over the last few seasons.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Defense<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Robinson protected the paint to a tee last season. He blocked 35 shots in those 31 games, a lower\u2014but still decent\u2014number compared to the 109 blocks attained in 2022-23. It was the fourth time in his career that Robinson passed the century mark in terms of blocks. He denied 161 shots his rookie year (2018-19), followed by 133 in 2021-22 and 119 in 2019-20. Robinson\u2019s defense has always been solid, and pairing him with an arguable DPOY candidate would do wonders in the Lakers\u2019 frontcourt.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Crashing the Glass<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In terms of <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.silverscreenandroll.com\/2024\/9\/28\/24256450\/lakers-jj-redick-offensive-rebounding-corner-crash\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">offensive rebounding<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014a point of emphasis by head coach <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/redicjj01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JJ Redick<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014Robinson has particularly done well in that category. Last season, he grabbed a total of 263 offensive boards (3.9 per game) but grabbed an astounding 617 in 2021-22 (4.5 per game) and 555 the year after that (4.9 per game\u2014a career-high). The Lakers, as a team, averaged <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/traditional?SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=OREB\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8.2 offensive rebounds per game<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014which was dead last in the NBA.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Redick has implored certain Lakers\u2014especially <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hachiru01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rui Hachimura<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014to work on crashing the glass in the offseason, Mitchell Robinson would be the team\u2019s missing puzzle piece in that department. Adding Robinson\u2014who stands at 7\u20190\u201d and 240 pounds\u2014next to Davis and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LeBron James<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> would greatly enhance the team\u2019s presence on the boards, which is sorely needed if they want to keep opponents out of the paint and maximize transition opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Word of Caution<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Robinson can fit in seamlessly and is seemingly easy to acquire, there are valid concerns about his durability.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Throughout six seasons, Robinson has yet to play a full 82-game slate. He played a career-high 72 games in 2021-22\u2014when he averaged 8.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on the year. Since then, he has dealt with a slew of injuries that have hindered his productivity and led to a decreased role. His <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/40140749\/knicks-mitchell-robinson-ankle-surgery-sources-say\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">latest surgery<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was the second procedure he had this past season, which would be a deterrent to many teams who had interest in him. For the Lakers and a handful of other franchises, that may not be the case, but they are still wise to tread with caution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers have preached continuity, and as Redick knows, availability will play a key role in that. Giving up two players who are recovering from their own injuries is not the best bet for someone who will miss a decent chunk of the regular season\u2014especially considering that <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nba\/mitchell-robinson-player-injuries\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Robinson\u2019s ankle has plagued him for most of his career<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. And, before anyone asks, Mitchell Robinson is not worth those two first-round picks, either.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Last Word<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pelinka may be right to evaluate the team in the regular season before negotiating any trades to meet the Lakers\u2019 high standards. Mitchell Robinson could move the needle for the purple and gold, but it\u2019s best to consider him down the line as opposed to right now.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During a recent press conference prior to the team\u2019s media day, Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka addressed the elephant in the room of no offseason trades made, saying he\u2019d be willing to move both future first-round picks if they led to \u201csustained Lakers excellence.\u201d The Lakers also confirmed to Bleacher Report that adding a center [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":94143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,26,62,12,4721],"tags":[240,3145,4921,213,38,1616,1749],"class_list":["post-98623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-nba","category-knicks","category-trade-rumors","tag-anthony-davis","tag-christian-wood","tag-gabe-vincent","tag-karl-anthony-towns","tag-lebron-james","tag-mitchell-robinson","tag-rui-hachimura"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}