The impact Ariza-to-LA would have on Golden State
Ariza to Los Angeles would impact Golden State in a few ways.
For starters, it does, even if by only a little, make the Lakers a better team. At 16-10, the Lakers sit at 5th in the West and have actually started to string together wins, securing seven of their last ten games. Ariza could easily make them the West’s second or third best team.
With Ariza, the Lakers have a few more versatile lineup options.
They can have Lonzo, Ariza, Ingram, LeBron and McGee. A lineup with Ariza at the two would give them length and rebounding while Ariza at the three or four might allow James to slide down, giving them more shooting and speed.
Against Golden State, it might not matter since the Dubs can match any lineup the Lakers throw out there. The question will be if the Lakers have a player that can contain Cousins if the Warriors line their lineup with their five superstars.
Needless to say, the shooting that Ariza gives LA makes this team a bit more like the Cleveland roster James left behind. Snagging three-and-d guys is actually what Griffin and Altman did to appease the King in Cleveland.
More versatile, more effective lineups are on the way, but the Warriors have seen worse. While the Lakers have a player as good as James Harden. They don’t have the second superstar, like the Rockets’ Paul, that it takes to compete in a seven-game series with the Dubs.
Can they secure that star within the next year to compete with a potentially KD-less Dubs in 2020?