Because of a dispute with head coach Tyrone Corbin, Bell has yet to play this season. In 12 NBA seasons, the 36-year-old has shot 41 percent from three-point range and played decent on-ball defense.
At first glance, Bell does indeed look like a good fit for the Lakers, who are currently ninth in the Western Conference and sitting three games behind the Houston Rockets for the final playoff spot. He spent three years playing for head coach Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix, and his perimeter defense could definitely help the Lakers.
But that's not the type of defense that Los Angeles needs right now. With seven-footer Pau Gasol recovering from a foot injury, the team has a gaping void in the low post and needs a big man to fill that hole until Gasol comes back.
In signing Bell, the Lakers would just be making another desperate move to try to justify keeping D'Antoni around. Instead of committing to defense in spite of D'Antoni being offense-minded, GM Mitch Kupchak would just be trying to convince himself that the Lakers could win by outshooting the other team.
More importantly, last I checked, the Lakers already have a bench shooter in Jodie Meeks. Granted, he doesn't have the same defensive capabilities as Bell, but he can still be relied on to make his shots from long range.
Apart from the desperation behind signing him, bringing Bell aboard would just give the Lakers another shooter they don't need. If Los Angeles wants to make the playoffs, it's not going to get there by shooting the lights out and hoping that it has the points advantage by the final buzzer.
The only way the Lakers can make ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
