Contract for 4 years and 53 million! Did the Lakers escape a disaster? More importantly, the replacement is very suitable for Doncic.

1, lost to the Thunder 124:125;

2, lost to the Pistons 111:115.

After losing two games in a row at the start of the season, the Rockets won five games in a row, ranking third in the Western Conference behind the Thunder and Lakers with 5 wins and 2 losses.

In terms of data, the offensive efficiency of 123.9 ranks first in the league, and the defensive efficiency of 111 ranks fifth in the league with the Nuggets. In other words, the addition of Durant has indeed made the Rockets even more powerful on the offensive end.

Speaking of the Rockets, we have to mention two people:

First, Shen Jing.

So far this season, he has averaged 22.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. Looking at the data alone, he is completely a weakened version of Jokic. What's more important is that at only 23 years old, he is indeed very expected to reach the level of "making an appointment with a teacher" in the future.

Second, Finney Smith.

Due to injury, "Electric Fan" has not played in the new season so far.

Does Finney Smith's absence have an impact on the Rockets?

At present, it does not seem to have any impact. After all, as mentioned just now, the team is in the midst of a five-game winning streak. To talk about the impact, it is off the court - the contract signed this summer is a four-year, 53 million yuan.

We all know that Finney Smith refused to exercise the player option for the 25-26 season this summer and left the Lakers. For the latter, does the former's injury mean that he has dodged a bullet?

I think it can be understood this way:

Reason: competitiveness. So far this season, including Doncic, Reeves and even James, it can be said that all the core players of the Lakers have injuries. As for the role players, except Rui Hachimura and Laravia, all have different injuries. Based on this, if Finney Smith renews his contract, it will have more or less impact on the Lakers' immediate combat effectiveness. Besides, he still has a four-year, 53 million contract.

However, as Finney Smith's replacement, I think Laravia's outstanding performance is more important. To be precise, the latter suits Doncic very well.

Explanation point one: data. So far this season, Laravia has averaged 12.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. It is worth mentioning that these three statistics are all new highs in his NBA career. It should be noted that from the true shooting rate of 64.1%, which is also a career high, the record high data is not just an increase in opportunities.

Explanation point two: three points. The shots accounted for 43.2% and the shooting rate was 40.6%. Speaking of which, it should be noted that 45.3% of Doncic's shots came from the penalty area. Obviously, Laravia's excellent three-point efficiency can open up space for Doncic's offense. In fact, Doncic's shooting percentage can increase by 2.5 percentage points per 100 possessions with the former on the court.

Explanation point three: defense. In terms of data, the defensive real plus-minus of 0.3 ranks fourth among the Lakers. In other words, Laravia can relieve Doncic's defensive burden to a certain extent. What I mean is that when facing forwards like Keegan Murray and Wiggins, Laravia can lead the defense.

Speaking of this, it needs to be explained that Laravia’s contract is 12 million for two years. Considering the average salary is only 6 million, this is one, and the other is helpful to the core players - sharing Doncic's offensive and defensive pressure. It can be said that Laravia is very cost-effective.

Finally, if Laravia continues his current performance, I think it will be difficult for the Lakers to retain him next summer. After all, they will jump out of existing contracts to pursue big contracts.