After signing DeAndre Jordan and trading Marc Gasol, the Lakers are faced with a major potential season-defining decision whether to finally start Anthony Davis at the five or one of a pair of washed career backup centers.
Now that smoke is clearing, Jordan has been signed, and Gasol traded, who will start at center for the Lakers becomes the big question. Do the Lakers start Howard or Jordan like McGee in their 2019–20 championship run? Many observers believe replacing Gasol with Jordan signals the Lakers are going to reprise the center strategy from their championship run in 2020 and have Howard or Jordan start games and second halves like McGee.
Personally, I believe the Lakers’ decision to replace Gasol with Jordan had more to do with their strategy to have elite shot blockers at center all game rather than simply trying to replicate their championship center rotation. For me, the trades to bring in Russell Westbrook and move Marc Gasol confirm the news before free agency that Anthony Davis was willing to start and play major minutes at the five to make room to start two shooters.
This will all be resolved in training camp, which starts on September 28th, and preseason games, which begin October 3rd. So let’s take a look at the Lakers’ three options to start at center when the new season kicks off:
1. THE LAKERS START DEANDRE JORDEN AT CENTER
While there’s been Twitter chatter the Lakers might start Jordan, the idea they would start a player who was just waived by their major rival in the East whose value is now the league minimum seems like a long shot at best.
We’re not talking about the 2015–18 DeAndre Jordan who made 1st team All-NBA once, 2nd team All-NBA twice, and 2nd team All-Defensive once. We’re talking about the 32-year old version who couldn’t start for the Nets. Gone are the ‘Lob City’ days of 2.5 blocks per game, 1.0 steals per game, and 250 dunks per season. Today’s DeAndre Jordan would be lucky to average 1.5 blocks, 0.5 steals per game, and 100 dunks for the season.
The big problem with having DeAndre Jordan play JaVale McGee’s role as the team’s starting center for the first six to eight minutes of each half is it uses one of the critical two starting spots available for elite 3-point shooters. Since James, Davis, or Westbrook, are not high percentage 3-point shooters, the Lakers logical move would be to dedicate the two empty starting slots alongside of their three superstars to proven veteran 3-point shooters.
DeAndre Jordan would have to show the Lakers that he still was the vertical force on offense and defense as he was in his prime to be seriously considered as the Lakers’ starting center when the 2021–22 season starts.
2. THE LAKERS START DWIGHT HOWARD AT CENTER
Frankly, the arguments against starting Dwight Howard at center are the same as those against starting DeAndre Jordan. They limit the number of 3-point shooters the Lakers can play to create spacing for their superstars.
Like with DeAndre Jordan, the version of Dwight Howard the Lakers will get this season is nowhere near the superstar center who was 1st team All-NBA five times from 2008-2012 and the DPOY three times from 2009–2012. While Dwight was ultimately played off the floor in the Lakers’ bubble championship run, he still was an important defensive factor against Nikola Jokic as the Lakers dominated the Denver Nuggets in five games.
There’s no question having JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard eat up minutes at center allowed Anthony Davis to spend 60% of his time at his preferred power forward position to avoid the physicality of playing center. Frankly, it doesn’t make sense for the Lakers to copy that strategy now that they have Westbrook playing at the one and desperately need 3-point shooters on the floor when LeBron, AD, and Russ play together.
The expectation is Dwight Howard, who’s already familiar with the Lakers’ offensive and defensive strategies, is a better fit for the Los Angeles’ center rotation and will be the primary backup at center over DeAndre Jordan.
3. THE LAKERS START ANTHONY DAVIS AT CENTER
The fact that the Lakers are heading into training camp with just DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard as the only two centers on the roster is clear cut evidence Anthony Davis is going to be playing major minutes at center.
The Lakers finished last season with three centers — Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol, and Montrezl Harrell — on the roster besides Anthony Davis. That led to Davis playing center 10% in regular season and 20% in playoffs. That was a strategy that backfired badly as none of the Lakers’ three centers were able to protect the rim defensively or provide a lethal vertical threat offensively. As a result, the Lakers did not bring back any of those centers.
Instead, the Lakers prioritized bringing in a ‘difference-making playmaker’ in Russell Westbrook, which exacerbated the team’s desperate need for better 3-point shooting but also gave Los Angeles the third superstar they coveted. The seeds for the Westbrook trade had been planted during a meeting between LeBron, AD, and Russ at James home in Los Angeles where all three superstars agreed to make sacrifices to make the Superstar Big Three work.
Anthony Davis supposedly agreed during that meeting that he would play a lot more at center in order to enable the Lakers to play two volume 3-point shooters to create spacing alongside their trio of rim attacking superstars.
4. DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHO STARTS AT CENTER?
Aside from AD’s claims that playing center makes him prone to injuries, the other criticism from those who want to start Dwight Howard or DeAndre Jordan instead of Davis at center is it simply does not matter in the end.
They point to the fact the Lakers’ starting lineups the last two years did not include Anthony Davis but still posted their best 5-man lineup net ratings. The McGee and Gasol starting lineups had superior 12.6 and 13.2 net ratings. The argument we won a championship with McGee as the starting center is compelling but ignores differences in the composition of the Lakers’ roster as well as changes in the quality of competition to be faced.
While starting DeAndre Jordan or Dwight Howard at center could work during the regular season since the Lakers with LeBron, AD, and Russ are likely to be a juggernaut, it clearly will have to change come the playoffs. Frankly, having to change starting lineups and style of play for postseason is one of the main arguments to start Anthony Davis all of the time. In other words, use the regular season to practice what you will do in the playoffs.
The Nets’ Big Three has raised the bar to win a championship and the Lakers need to start their best five players on the court from the opening tip. They cannot be deceived by thinking who starts doesn’t matter. It does.
While training camp and preseason should provide more information about the Lakers center rotation plans, the moves the Lakers have made and the roster they have built seemingly point to Anthony Davis starting at center.
Since teams already pack the paint to prevent LeBron James and Anthony Davis from getting to the rim, rolling out a starting lineup with only one quality 3-point shooter would be playing right into the defense’s hands. LeBron, AD, and Russ are all subpar 3-point shooters, which means the Lakers’ top priority in creating their starting lineup and rotations is to make sure to always have at least two elite 3-point shooters on the floor.
The only way the Lakers can achieve that goal when they play all three of their superstars is to have Anthony Davis play center so they can dedicate the shooting guard and small forward position to proven 3-point shooters.
As we all know, I’m going to live and die on the AD Starting Center bandwagon. I do think the trade of Marc Gasol and the Lakers’ decision to carry only two centers other than AD clearly signals that AD will start and play 2/3’s of his time at the five.
The reality is there is no logical alternative. Starting Howard or Jordan, two centers who no longer have the athleticism or energy to play starter minutes. Starting a non-shooter at center alongside three superstars who aren’t good 3-point shooters is not a winning formula. That’s obvious.
Thus, AD starting for the Lakers is the only viable solution with the roster all but finalized other than another wing defender and empty roster spot. For me, thast’s the best news of this offseason. Finally, the Lakers go all-in on small ball with AD at the five and two rim protectors and lob finishers backing him up.
Yup. Drummond’s addition and promise of starting gummed up the works. I hope 🤞 DAJ isn’t needed very much if at all, preferably. This one has me stumped.
Two negative things Drummond did were:
1. Limit AD’s opportunities at the five.
2. Create discontent with Marc and Trezz.
I wouldn’t say Dwight is a washed up career backup. Likely first ballot HOF.
I agree, Bob. I don’t think Dwight is ‘washed up.’ I just don’t believe that he or DeAndre are starter quality at this point in their careers. They’re both backjup centers.
Dumped or washed up, LT can’t help but denigrate the center position only to be forced to walk it right on back later on: “…or one of a pair of washed career backup centers.”
That from your opening paragraph of this article, lol…
For the record it’s only recently that Dwight became a backup and this will be DeAndre’s first stint, potentially. Hardly what one ought to describe as being “career” back up centers.
Man O man, anyhow welcome to the Lakers lads, Dwight for the third time. Dumped indeed…
However you might want to describe it, the Lakers did dump Dwight and JaVale last season. By the way, this season they dumped Gasol, Harrell, and Drummond. But opted to bring back Dwight. And sign DeAndre. But that was simply to restore rim protection on defense and lob opportunities on offense.
I did support bringing Dwight back but did not agree with the decision to sign Jordan. Would have rather have had us go after Boogie or a young shot blocker like Damian Jones. In the end, all I have ever wanted for the Lakers center position is Anthony Davis to have the grit to say yes, I will play center if that’s best for the team.
Not sure if stats matter much in this debate as it seems more philosophically driven than stat or fit driven. Nevertheless, we’ll see where numbers take us:
1.1 the number of blocks averaged by DeAndre Jordan and Marc Gasol last season. Dwight didn’t crack the 1’s at .9 BPG.
.5 which woyld the number of steals per game averaged by Gasol whereas DAJ and DH averaged .3 and .4 respectively.
21.9 which would be the minutes per game Jordan averaged compared to 19.1 (Gasol) and 17.4 (Dwight).
69 games played by Dwight compared to 57 for DAJ and 52 for Marc.
76.3 % FG for DAJ which easily paces the field compared to Howard’s 587 or Gasol’s .454 except that Marc was, essentially, a spot up shooter who relied on getting the ball on kick outs as evidenced by his 41% shooting from three.
Lastly, 8.4 which would be the number of RPG Dwight averaged last season compared to DAJ’s 7.5 and Marc’s anemic looking 4.1. However, considering how Marc spent much of his time on offense stationed at the top of the key and how centers are asked to box out for LeBron, AD or a guard to grab the board it makes sense. FWIW Dwight averaged his career-low in RPG as a Laker 2.0. On the Lakers centers are asked to box out, not board, at least not as much as traditionally required.
In my opinion we let the better player get away. Having both Dwight and DeAndre is a little too much of the same thing. Both take up space in the paint, can’t be expected to shoot reliably from the outside and both are going to expect some level of PT and role. Obviously the rift between Marc and the coaching staff and/or front office was too wide to bridge since as recently as June he was saying he would be back. Whether it was also a desire to simply not deal with NBA COVID protocols, being away from his home country or a little of all three (the scenario I believe most likely) it no longer really matters.
If I’m deciding who starts I would say DeAndre if he’s healthy. He’s younger, ought to have more lift and is a better shooter by a miniscule amount than Dwight is. Dwight can step right back into the exact same role he excelled in last time he was here and we’ll be the better for it. Once dumped twice ringed? Who knows, but the real debate ought not to revolve around who starts but who finishes. If it’s not AD then something has gone horribly wrong.
After a perfect job building the championship roster, Rob and the Lakers front office got too cute before last season and many of their moves turned out to be mistakes, including Schroder, Harrell, Gasol, and Drummond. Note that three of the four mistakes were made at one single position: center. All because of the team bending over backwards to not force AD to play center.
In retrospect, considering he playing 10 mpg regular season and 20 mpg in the playoffs last season compared to 40% and 60% in the championship season, it appears the Lakers’ game plan last season was for AD to play as little center as possible. Thank God for Russ wanting to join LeBron and AD and the agreement between the three superstars that AD would play a lot more minutes at the five.