The two things the Lakers need to address to become a contending team

The Los Angeles Lakers have been a rollercoaster this season with many ups and downs, as they have shown two different faces on the campaign, with their games in the In-Season Tournament having a different kind of energy while the regular campaign not bringing the same kind of energy.

Injuries, turnovers, rebounds, and 3-point shooting have been the main struggles the team has been having to deal with all season long, reports started to emerge on potential trade targets like the Chicago Bulls stars DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso.

After 29 games in the season, the team needs a backup center spot that has to be addressed at the trade deadline by the front office, as Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes haven't been what the team needs, a defensive five.

The other thing the Lakers need to address is another scorer that can create for themselves. Different names have been thrown into the mix like Zach LaVine, Lauri Markannen, Jordan Clarkson, and more.

Darvin Ham gave more playing time vs. Minnesota to D'Angelo Russell than Austin Reaves

Darvin Ham noted postgame that he prefers to keep Austin Reaves in the 27-to-28-minute range as it keeps him “fresh” and “efficient.” This is the reason why D'Angelo played 10 more minutes than Reaves.