Los Angeles Lakers: 3 takeaways from the Cleveland Cavaliers game

2. Trade between team improves both, and unlocked Lakers big men

When the Los Angeles Lakers traded Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson to the Cleveland Cavaliers, I suspected the Lakers would severely miss the energy and underrated game of Nance, who’s now starting and playing regularly for the shorthanded Cavs. Clarkson will have his moments off the bench for the Cavs, but Nance figures for a larger role come playoffs time.

On the Lakers’ side of things, I enjoyed their four-man frontcourt rotation and how each brought his own unique game to the table. What I failed to realize is that Nance’s minutes and touches would now go to Brook Lopez and Julius Randle, two players who are playing their best ball of the season since the trade.

Lopez had to be frustrated with his early season playing time and lack of touches, especially for a player of his scoring caliber, but he’s averaging 19.3 points over his last six games, shooting 59.0 percent from the field in 28.8 minutes per contest. He torched the Cavs for 22 points in this game, and is proving his minutes should have been there throughout the season.

Perhaps the main beneficiary of the Nance offloading is Randle, who’s averaging 21.3 points (shooting 60.4 percent), 9.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Randle continued to dominate opponents, putting up an all-around masterpiece against the Cavs, going for a career-high 36 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and one steal while making 14 of his 18 shots.

The Lakers miss Nance in terms of frontcourt depth, but Randle and Lopez absorbing more minutes and larger scoring loads seems to be making up for any depth concerns I had.