Los Angeles Lakers: Festus Ezeli Is A Perfect Free Agent Target

With a need at the center position, could Festus Ezeli be the one to help the Los Angeles Lakers fix their defense?

Last week, Magic Johnson and his tweets about who the Los Angeles Lakers should target became a source for comedy. It started with Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, then turning into a joke, as Magic suggested going after Kevin Durant and LeBron James “just in case” the King decides to leave Cleveland again.

His tweets, always hilarious, turned into what other (unattainable) free agents the Lakers should target. DeRozan has since struggled in the playoffs, shooting a ghastly 33 percent. Kevin Durant the Oklahoma City Thunder seem poised for a second round exit while LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers seem destined for a second consecutive Finals appearance. 

But later in the week, Sporting News’ Sean Deveney revealed a more realistic name for the Lakers to target: Golden State Warriors backup center Festus Ezeli. Here’s the quote: 

"“The Lakers, a source said, will have interest in Ezeli, seeing his size and rim-protecting defense as an ideal complement to forward Julius Randle. L.A., of course, just hired Warriors assistant Luke Walton to be its coach. Ezeli had the best months of his career in November and December, with Walton filling in while Kerr recovered from back surgery, and before Ezeli’s knee injury.”"

I believe this is an excellent free agent for the Lakers to target.

Lost in Los Angeles’ terrible season was just how awful they were on defense. Last season, the Lakers were last in the league in defense, finishing with 113.7 defensive rating, per Nylon Calculus. Part of that is due to inexperience, with guys like D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle seeing their first extended minutes on an NBA floor, but the surrounding players (Jordan Clarkson, Lou Williams) were just as bad on the defensive end.

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Part of those defensive failures could be Los Angeles’ inability to stop its opponent once they got near the rim. Per NBA.com’s opponent shooting stats, the Lakers ranked last in the league, allowing opponents to shoot a staggering 63 percent within five feet of the basket.

The thought was that the once sturdy paint presence of Roy Hibbert would quell that issue, but as the dimensions of the game changed, Hibbert became an ineffective oak tree at the rim with no chance of stopping teams with big men who can shoot and drive to the rim. 

Ezeli, however, could fix both of those issues.

To turn that around, I think it’ll take several good defensive players to create a culture and accountability on that end, and Ezeli could be the start of that. Ezeli, behind Andrew Bogut, is known for his ability to defend both at the rim and swarm pick and rolls. Per Nylon Calculus’ rim protection statistics, Ezeli finished second in the league in points saved per game at 2.02 and first in points saved per 36 minutes at 4.32. The next player? Hassan Whiteside, who only registered a 2.80 in the per 36 category.

That ability to affect the defensive end on both levels is perfect to slap alongside a player like Randle, who still has warts to figure out on that side of the floor. As someone who never projected to be a plus defender coming out of Kentucky, Randle will have to figure out his niche on defense.  It also helps players like Clarkson and Russell, giving them a player they can funnel to on pick and rolls. Throw in a stable relationship with new Lakers coach Luke Walton and Ezeli and Los Angeles makes some sense here.

Offensively, you have to like that Ezeli doesn’t absorb many offensive possessions. With a usage rate below 20 percent, Ezeli gets his offense in other ways. As a cutter, Ezeli finished with 67 percent shooting from the floor, suggesting that he’s a rather smart player, capable of getting through the cracks and crevices of the defense. When in the offensive action, Ezeli shined as a roll man, hitting 57 percent of his shots in a limited sample.

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Along with the defensive contributions, underrated offense and relationship to the coach, Ezeli is right in the perfect age group (26 years old) for this Lakers team — old enough to be considered a veteran, yet, young enough to have some upside in his game and be someone the Lakers can have for two contracts as opposed to one. The fact he’s only played 2,600 minutes between the regular season and playoffs is a positive, as well.  

There is one minor fear, however: Ezeli’s injury history. He missed the entire 2013-14 season after recovering from a knee injury and even battled back from a similar injury before having a great Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference semifinals. He’s not the most durable player in the league, playing over 65 games in a season just once. You have to at least wonder if he can stay healthy, espcially if his minutes increase. 

More hoops habit: NBA Injuries: 20 Stars That Deserve Career Do-Overs

Still, for Deveney’s estimated $50 million over three years for the big man, that’s a good price for someone that can offer elite level rim protection and anchor your defense. I’m sure another championship may bump Ezeli’s price range up a bit, but if the Lakers can acquire him, that would be a good get for a team that needs to improve its defense.