If it wasn’t already certain, the Los Angeles Lakers are going all in to win the NBA championship this season.
The Lakers found their third scoring option in Russell Westbrook after dealing Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and a 2021 first-round pick,
In free agency, the Lakers moved quickly to sign veterans Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, Carmelo Anthony and Kent Bazemore on one-year deals.
Veterans such as Howard, who is returning to L.A. for the third time in his career, already understand the ways he must contribute on the court to give the Lakers the best shot at winning, no matter if he starts or comes off the bench.
Ariza, who is returning to the Lakers for the second time, is on the same boat as Howard, via Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet:
Ariza said roles (starter/bench/etc.) don’t matter this year:
"When you’re trying to win a championship, the only thing that matters is the success of the team … The idea is for everybody to make each other better every day, and to cheer for your teammates success."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) August 6, 2021
It’s unclear what lineups Frank Vogel will roll out once the season starts, but Ariza should have a prominent role. He’s a versatile forward who has mostly played at power forward the last few seasons as his mobility and athleticism have declined.
Still, he’s capable of guarding multiple positions on the defensive end and converted 35% of his 3-pointers last year on 4.8 attempts. That should be useful in catch-and-shoot scenarios alongside Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
