The Lakers picked up a treasure of 6 million? 42.3% three-pointer shot claiming to be 3D adhesive, King James welcomes new bodyguards!

The midsummer heat waves in Los Angeles are surging, but the media room of the Lakers Training Hall has caused another wave due to the declaration of new aid Laravia. "I will become the '3D' type player the Lakers need," Laravia, wearing a purple-gold jersey, looked like a torch. "Every night, I will face those difficult matches and be responsible for defending the number one star on the other."

The 23-year-old striker is no empty talk. In 66 games last season, the Grizzlies and the Kings, he pierced the opponent's defense with a 42.3% three-point shooting percentage, averaging 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game was efficient in just 18.9 minutes of playing time. More importantly, his bottom corner three-point shooting percentage is firmly above 40%, which is the golden area of modern basketball space tactics.

When Pelinka finalized Laravia with a two-year 12 million contract, many fans were still puzzled. However, when I opened his growth map, the deep meaning of signing the contract suddenly became clear. "My dad grew up in Pasadena and was a big fan of Magic," Laravia recalled emotionally at the press conference. "When he heard that I signed with the Lakers, he was so excited that he almost burst into tears."

This local son carries the purple gold complex of the family's inheritance, and the Lakers management is interested in much more than emotions. After Finney Smith left the team and made 14.1 million space freed, the Lakers urgently needed to fill the vacancy on the front line. With his efficient performance in the Kings' final stage last season, especially the transformation of three-point shooting percentage jumping to 42.3%, Laravia has become the best cost-effective solution in Pelinka's eyes.

General Manager Pelinka directly points to the tactical value: "He has high-ball quotient and offense and defense skills, which perfectly adapts to Redick's system. As a destructive defender, he can use his body to make opponents' mistakes; on the offensive end, he is a three-threat scorer, and he is good at creating space."

This new "3D" is by no means perfect. When facing a change of directional breakthrough on the speed wing, his slow horizontal movement is likely to become a breakthrough; when facing a strong fourth position, rebounding competition is often at a disadvantage. More importantly, in the current starting lineup of the Lakers, Reeves, Doncic, James, Hachimura Hirata and Ayton, lack of potential risks of top single defenders, which may magnify his defensive shortcomings. He also faces a test on the offensive end: the stability of 30.4% of his career three-pointers needs to be verified, and the lack of offensive ability to hold the ball makes it difficult for him to independently develop his offense when tactics stagnate. If he wants to truly shoulder the heavy responsibility of "defending the opponent's number one star", he needs to transform the bold statements at the press conference into a steel defense line every night.

For the Lakers, who have two major ball-holding core players, Laravia's "not taking the ball" characteristics have become an advantage. His role is clear and critical. He ambushed the weak side on the offensive end and punished the opponent's double-team against superstars with three points; he transformed into a "firefighter" on the defensive end, from marking arrow characters to assisting defense frames to multi-line combat; he played his supportive expertise in the connection section and became the transmission center of the second lineup.

As he emphasized in an ESPN interview: "I can easily cut into the penalty area to attract defense and pass the ball, and make simple and efficient judgments. Partnering with organizers like LeBron and Luca, the Ball Chamber of Commerce is my pass." This precise positioning corresponds to Redick's modern forward needs for "space + defense replacement + conduction", and also explains why Pelinka said that he "has all the skills required for the Redick system."

When the reporter asked whether Laravia could truly replace Finney Smith's defensive value, he responded with a smile: "My father told me that playing in the Lakers requires a big heart." Behind this calmness is the Lakers' tactical puzzle with an average annual bet of 6 million. If he can really fulfill the promise of "3D Connector", engrave the three-point shot into Staples' basket, and use defensive toughness to wrap around the opponent's ace, then the value of this signing will far exceed the cold 42.3% hit rate on the data sheet.

James always needs such "invisible wings".