Signing is reached! The 2.13-meter block king joins the Lakers and joins James, and the Western Conference has a new suspense

Editor|Old Kankan Football

This offseason, after several teams in the NBA Western Conference strengthened, the competition became increasingly fierce. Not to mention this year's championship Thunder, spending 822 million US dollars to retain all the championship lineup, and its strength is strong; even the Nuggets have changed their previous poor performance, and the Magic 2-for-1 trade was obtained by 3D champion Cameron Johnson, and then strengthened the substitute depth such as Brown, Hardaway Jr., Valan and other substitutes, and returned to the first echelon of the championship; and the most anticipated Rockets not only cut their salary and renewed their contracts with core players such as VanVleet and Smith Jr., but also signed powerful players such as Durant and Finney Smith. Their strength on paper rose sharply, directly competing against the defending champion Thunder.

At the same time, as a traditional giant, the Los Angeles Lakers have not been idle this offseason. In addition to signing powerful players such as Ayton, Smart, and Laravia, a key signing has been reached recently. According to the latest report by ESPN reporter Shams, the Lakers officially announced that they had officially signed with NBA G League block king and member of the year's defensive lineup. The 2.13-meter-high No. 5 center averaged 11.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.4 blocks in the G League last season, with a shooting percentage of up to 68.2%, making it an efficient inside finisher.

In fact, Keller Kelly did not become famous overnight. The 28-year-old center has been working hard to improve himself and polish his skills in the past few seasons, and finally ushered in an explosion last season. 2.4 blocks not only made him the best block in the G League, but also the second highest blocking data in the G League in the past five years, second only to Chris Butcher in 2020 (2.7 times).

What's even more amazing is his shooting efficiency. The 68.2% shooting percentage is enough to be among the top insiders even in the NBA. In comparison, the player with the highest shooting percentage in the NBA last season was Jarrett Allen of the Cavaliers (64.9%), while Kelly's G-League performance was even better.

In addition, Kelly's defensive influence is far beyond the basic data. According to advanced data statistics provided by the NBA data website, when he was on the court, his opponent's shooting percentage dropped by 12.3%, ranking first among all inside players in the G League. His defensive radius covers the entire penalty area, and his 2.23-meter-long wingspan allows him to effectively interfere with the opponent's shooting without making any fouls. It is precisely because of this physical and technical condition that he was successfully selected into the G League's best defensive team of the year last season.

With this, Kelly officially landed in the NBA in the 2024-25 season, playing for the Mavericks and the Pelicans, playing in a total of 11 regular season games, and averaged 11.5 minutes per game to contribute 3.1 points and 3.5 rebounds.

It is obvious that the Lakers' signing this time is by no means a goal to strengthen the No. 5 position, but an accurate signing targeting the characteristics of James and Doncic. From the analysis of technical characteristics, Kelly and the two superstars are indeed very good.

First is the chemistry with James. James has always been a perfect match for the efficient finishing inside, from Chris Anderson to Javier McGee to Dwight Howard. The common feature of these players is that they can catch James' pass and complete the end without occupying the ball. Kelly's 68.2% shooting percentage shows that he is exactly this type of player.

More importantly, Kelly has certain external capabilities. Although three-pointers are not his main weapon, he tried 35 three-pointers in the G League last season, hitting 33.3%, showing his potential to develop long-range shooting ability. This will create more room for James and Doncic's breakthrough.

's partner with Doncic is even more exciting. During the Mavericks, Doncic established good chemical reactions with Powell and Lefly insiders. Kelly's athletic ability is better than Powell, Hayes, etc., and his explosive power is stronger after pick-and-roll. Data shows that Doncic gave the third most assists in the league to inside players last season (7.2 per game), while Kelly scored 68% of his teammates' assists in the G League. This "eating cake" feature complements Doncic's passing ability. On the defensive end, Kelly's blocking ability can make up for Doncic's defensive movement. Doncic is better at defending back and stealing on the defensive end, and the frame protection has always been his weakness. Kelly's arrival allows the Lakers to build a new defensive system, and Doncic can focus more on offense and organization.

Kelly's addition has enriched the Lakers' tactical choices. Last season, the Lakers' inside defense has always been a weakness, with the opponent's shooting percentage in the Lakers' penalty area reaching 67.3%, ranking 25th in the league. Kelly's blocking and frame protection capabilities will directly solve this problem.

I have to say that this signing by the Lakers is indeed very worthwhile. If the final adjustment is successful, it will completely change the strength pattern of the western region, and the already very fierce competition in the western region will become more intense. The West, where heroes are separating, has now added new suspense.