“Flat Out Dog”: LeBron James Drops His Strong Approval on Lakers’ Latest Confirmed Hiring

The defending champions, the LA Lakers, will not drop their arms and be satisfied with just one title victory after such a long drought. Hence, they’ve taken their first tough call by sending Danny Green and Jaden McDaniels’ draft rights to OKC in order to receive Dennis Schroder. The trade is now official after Lakers’ President Rob Pelinka himself confirmed it.

Just a couple of days ago, Anthony Davis had expressed that Dennis is clearly Sixth Man of the Year caliber. Since the Lakers could not sign Chris Paul, this can be their opportunity to fill the gap and also mark a move for a secure future.

LeBron James also approved that he is deservingly a Lakers’ man

Just as the news of this trade broke out amidst the chaos of the NBA Draft 2020, LeBron James lost no time in giving his validation. He took to Instagram to post a story that said, “A flat out dog added to a pack of em”.

Interestingly, the Atlanta Hawks picked Dennis Schroder overall 17th in the 2013 drafts. This was the same year when the Hawks had their eyes set on Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, just as the Greek Freak went to the Bucks, the Hawks got Dennis and perhaps did not regret that decision. 

The Menace has played in 46 playoff games with an average of 13.1 points, 4 assists, and 2.3 boards. His last season with the Thunder was specifically good, with a career-high average of 18.9 points at 46.9% FG.

What else is Schroder bringing to the champion side?

Had the Lakers kept their draft pick, the responsibility would have been on them to develop him as a potential playmaker. Instead, they worked on the approach where they receive a finished product that can help them run a better offense. 

Moreso, Danny Green’s three-point shooting was struggling, and the world saw that clearly in Game 5 against the Heat. Dennis brings with him 38.5% accuracy from the downtown that he has enjoyed this past season. He can be a great catch-and-shoot option for the Lakers. 

Last but not the least, Schroder can become that third option to the star duo. It will be interesting to see if he gets to start for the Lakers and whether he can prove better than Kyle Kuzma at his best.