The Los Angeles Lakers are staring at an awkward center problem, and the names attached to it tell the whole story.
Their roster is full, but the need for another big is obvious. Walker Kessler has All-Star potential, yet staying on the floor has been an issue. Kevon Looney is a serviceable backup, though his best years with the Golden State Warriors are behind him.
That has left the Lakers linked in recent days to Drew Eubanks and Mason Plumlee, a pair of former Suns centers that, frankly, makes the whole situation feel a little ridiculous. Los Angeles still does not have the cap space to solve the problem the clean way, even with LeBron James heading to Philadelphia. And after bringing in Deandre Ayton last season, they have not exactly earned the benefit of the doubt here.
Eubanks is the more obvious mismatch. He plays with plenty of energy and heart, but he is undersized for the position and can get overwhelmed by bigger opponents. He might be fine in a limited bench role, but that kind of arrangement has already been tested in Phoenix when the Suns were trying to contend.
Plumlee brings more size and is the better backup option of the two, but even he comes with baggage. His game overlaps with Looney’s, and he is not even as good as the teammate he would potentially be replacing in the rotation. At one point, his play made Nick Richards look like prime Nikola Vucevic.
The Lakers’ bigger issue is the context around all of this. They are trying to win with Luka Doncic, and he can make a center look better, just as former Suns point guard Chris Paul did. But that does not mean Doncic should have to carry that burden every night.
So here the Lakers are, drifting into the same kind of center decisions the Suns once faced. And if this goes the way it usually does, it will start with a few decent regular-season stretches from Eubanks or Plumlee, then turn into frustration by Christmas before the player disappears from the rotation ahead of the playoffs.
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