Aloha,
While there seems to be a never ending series of articles about how Russ and LeBron will fit together, there is a bigger issue, one that maybe more important. It will be nice having Russ running with LeBron to ease his playmaker burden but I think the bigger benefit will be when LeBron rests. This has been a problem for the Lakers ever since LeBron arrived. The offense stagnates when LeBron rests. I suspect that Russ and LeBron will rarely rest at the same time. The Lakers would stagger AD and LeBron but that doesn’t have the same impact because AD is a big, not a playmaker. Russ running the show when LeBron rests is what I am looking forward to the most.
Aloha, Michael,
I agree 100% that the biggest benefit of Russ joining the Lakers to give the a superstar big three is the ability to play Russ and AD together when LeBron sits. To win the non-LeBron minutes, it’s absolutely necessary that Russ and AD lead that lineup.
If the Lakers start and close halves and games with all three superstars, then they only have one more stint available for each of their three superstars during the middle of the first and second halves. So they need to split up the three superstars over the two middle of the half lineups.
Ideally, Russ and AD’s extra stint in the middle of the first and second halves would be the lineup where LeBron is on the bench. LeBron’s extra stint would be when he was the only superstar on the court and likely playing center surrounded by playmakers and shooters.
That’s the only way to do it if Russ, LeBron, and AD are going to start and end the first half and the game.
Aloha Tom, this maybe the deepest roster I have ever seen in the NBA. I really have no idea yet what the rotations will look like. A lot will depend on how the kids look. But I’m pretty confident that we will not see LeBron at the 5 much unless AD goes down with injury. I suspect will will probably see Dwight for rim protection when AD rest. I think LeBron will be at the 3 when Russ rests, probably Melo at the 4. I think DJ and Rondo are insurance policies. I have read interviews with Rondo and he even believes he will not get a lot of minutes and he is looking forward to a mentor relationship with the young players. That said it still leaves 11 guys to work in. Which is a good problem to have. It’s going to be fun watching it all unfold.
While there are almost an infinite number of combinations, the one thing that jumps out at me is the Lakers are likely to start and end each half with all three superstars on the court. That means 4 lineups with them: start and end of first and second halves.
That only leaves one more opportunity in each half assuming the players are going to play 6 minutes stints. That means to me that LeBron plays alone one stint so that Russ and AD can cover when he gets his rests. Bron could stay at the four and Dwight play but I think the Lakers will have LeBron play the four and surround him with shooters, allowing him to take his man 1-on-1 from the perimeter or in the post.
Bottom line, we will have an exponential number of options with three superstars that we didn’t have with just two superstars.