Los Angeles Lakers: Upgrading At Small Forward

In case you missed it, the Los Angeles Lakers have been really bad the past few years. The rosters they’ve featured each of the past two seasons have had multiple ship-sinking holes, but one position the Lakers must address to reverse their recent misfortune is small forward.

The last two seasons, Wesley Johnson has been holding down that slot – off and on as coaches have attempted to replace him – and has performed inconsistently. He’s a free agent, and it’s unclear whether the Lakers even want him back.

As a quick side note here: I don’t think Johnson is a terrible player. He’s athletic, can shoot the three at a decent clip, and can be interesting as a small-ball power forward in doses. Part of the reason he’s judged so harshly is because he was overdrafted at fourth overall. If he had been a late first-rounder — and wasn’t forced to start for the Lakers the past two seasons — I doubt that he’d be viewed as a miserable option.

If he can get to an up-tempo situation, or on a team where he’s asked to play limited minutes, I think he could spark something for his career.

Speaking of unrealistic expectations that could potentially kill someone’s career, Byron Scott tried to force Ryan Kelly into being the small forward last season. He played 10 percent of the Lakers’ total minutes at that position, per 82games.com. The move was bad for Kelly, who performed worse overall, but was even more maddening for those who watched the experiment continue despite the unfavorable results.

With the draft and free agency rapidly approaching, the Lakers will have their opportunity to add a player or two to solidify the position. Whether it’s an intriguing prospect or an instant-impact player, the Lakers need to add something to assure the fanbase that things will get better on the wing.

The following list explores options the Lakers should consider via both the NBA Draft (Jun. 25) and the free agent period (can negotiate Jul. 1).

Next: Getting Defensive In The Draft