Los Angeles Lakers: 3 big questions following 2019 NBA All-Star break

3. What kind of impact can the new additions make?

The Lakers walked away losers at the deadline for their ultimately failed attempt to acquire Anthony Davis. They did not, however, come up completely empty-handed, making deals to acquire the duo of Reggie Bullock and Mike Muscala.

Bullock was averaging 12.1 points per game while shooting 38.8 percent from downtown for the Detroit Pistons prior to being dealt, and his length and grit made him one of the more underrated 3-and-D players on the trading block.

A backup power forward for the Philadelphia 76ers, Muscala was tasked with providing perimeter shooting as a career 36.5 percent marksmen from beyond the arc stuffed into a 6’11” frame.

Neither player was quite what L.A. was looking for near the deadline, and yet both have the opportunity to provide immense value to a Lakers squad desperate for any type of lifeline.

Currently ranked in the bottom third of the league in both 3-point efficiency and makes, the Lakers desperately need shooters to make the game easier on the 34-year-old LeBron, and both have the reputation to at least garner some respect from beyond the arc.

Given how stacked with veterans L.A.’s rotation already is, especially with ones who are used to getting minutes, it’ll be interesting to see the role the two newest Lakers play as the team gears up for its stretch run, whether that’s playing sparingly or receiving minutes down the stretch.

No matter the amount of playing time, it’s imperative to the Lakers’ success that they do what nobody else on the roster can do at a consistent level, a skill that has become all too valuable in today’s NBA.