James Worthy: Lakers need to find ‘bruiser’ to play center

The Lakers have questions. Big ones. And according to franchise legend James Worthy, the biggest starts in the middle.

“I think they definitely need to make some changes,” Worthy said on The Dan Patrick Show. “I don’t think you can run it back with the same Western Conference teams that are gonna get stronger.”

Worthy didn’t dance around it. He went straight to the issue. Center.

“I think one of the things that was lacking was in the center position,” he said. “What you need is an Isaiah Hartenstein… not necessarily a star, but you need a bruiser, somebody consistent.”

That’s a pretty clear message.

Isaiah Hartenstein may not be a headline name, but he showed exactly why teams value his style during Oklahoma City’s sweep of Los Angeles. He rebounded, defended, set hard screens and did the little things that tend to swing playoff games.

In that series, he averaged 8.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks. More importantly, he brought energy and physicality that the Lakers struggled to match.

Worthy even referenced Deandre Ayton, calling him a talented player but questioning whether he consistently provides what teams need at the position.

That’s the distinction. Flash versus function.

If the Lakers want to take a real step forward, Worthy’s message is simple. Find a center who does the dirty work. And don’t overthink it.