$4.8 million in one year! 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. This is the center the Lakers need.

After scoring 43 points against the Warriors, Doncic once again scored 40+ (49 points) against the Timberwolves. More importantly, judging from the 73.3% true shooting rate, consecutive 40+ points are by no means a "hard shot" but a reflection of immediate combat power.

Doncic is in hot form at the beginning of the season. What does it mean to the Lakers?

First, he completely got rid of his previous dependence on James.

Second, there is no need to worry too much about the offensive end. To put it bluntly, as a top "playmaker" Doncic can be both a personal finisher and effectively connect the team - his 44.9% assist rate is second only to Gidi and Harden.

To sum up the above two points, as long as Doncic maintains his current form, even if the Lakers cannot be the favorite to win the championship like the Thunder and Knicks, at least they will have no problem entering the playoffs. Of course, looking at it from another angle, the former’s slimming effect this summer is remarkable. I mean, "at ease" like Jokic.

In the game against the Timberwolves, Ayton made 7 of 11 shots and scored 15 points and 8 rebounds, but Hayes did not play.

Speaking of which, Hayes is basically dispensable to the Lakers. As for Ayton, for the Lakers, the offensive end is far greater than the defensive end. To put it bluntly, Ayton's defense is more about attitude than physical talent (hardware).

At the same time, Kesler scored 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks in the game against the Clippers. I think the latter is the center the Lakers need.

Reason one: combat power. Although he has only averaged 9.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in his NBA career so far, his shooting rate is as high as 68.3%. To put it bluntly, although traditional centers like Gobert and Nurkic mainly finish inside, they show a very high level of finishing.

On the defensive end, although the average of 2.4 blocks per game is lower than that of Bunyama, it is certainly at the top level. In fact, Kessler has been in the top five in the league in blocked shots every season since entering the league.

Reason 2: Features. Like Clarkston, Gafford and other insiders, Kessler is characterized by weak offense and strong defense. It is worth mentioning that Kessler is as mobile as Towns, Antetokounmpo and others and has the ability to switch defenses on the perimeter.

For example, in the game against the Clippers, under Kessler's defense, both Harden and Bill's shooting rates were less than 40%.

Reason 3: Contract. Kessler's contract this season is $4.8 million for one year, which is very cost-effective from another perspective. Of course, the rookie contract ends at the end of this season, and the potential follow-up contract has a basic annual salary of about US$20 million.

Relatively speaking, I think the second point is the main reason.

First of all, as mentioned just now, thanks to Doncic's outstanding performance, the Lakers are relatively not lacking in offense. On the contrary, there is still a lack of defense-firstly, Hayes' role is limited, and secondly, defense is not what Ayton is good at.

Secondly, with his good defensive ability, it is obvious that Kessler can perfectly fill the defense that the Lakers lack, especially the protection of the basket and rebounds. In other words, after acquiring Kessler and adding Doncic's presence, the Lakers will achieve a balance of offense and defense.

Finally, considering that Kessler has not reached an early contract extension with the Jazz. For Pelinka, it is still very hopeful that he can be traded with Knecht + draft picks.