In a league where traditional centers have been devalued and the Lakers’ tag team of JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard has been the exception, the time may have finally come for Frank Vogel to embrace the modern center.
In today’s NBA, traditional centers whose only job is to protect the rim and dunk the ball have become dinosaurs who can be played off the court by modern centers who’re more mobile and athletic and can shoot the three. Frank Vogel’s been on a mission to prove the Lakers can still win with a traditional center anchoring his defense and protecting the rim and he’s been able to pull it off for the most part up until he got to the playoffs.
Vogel’s conviction defense starts with protecting the rim and Anthony Davis’ preference to play the four to avoid the physical banging of playing the five have definitely been major factors in the Lakers playing traditional centers. But these playoffs have taught the Lakers playing a quicker and faster power forward who can defend and shoot the three like Markieff Morris alongside Davis at center can work and make them better offensively and defensively.
The playoffs have exposed traditional centers as liabilities on both ends of the court. Offensively, their presence in the paint and lack of gravity on the perimeter make it easy for defenses to pack the paint and protect the rim. Defensively, their inability to guard the perimeter makes them vulnerable against teams with centers who can stretch the floor and their lack of speed and mobility makes them easy prey for smaller players hunting switches.
While the Lakers played JaVale McGee or Dwight Howard at center 74% of the time during the regular season, those numbers dropped dramatically to 52% for the first three rounds of the playoffs and to only 29% for the Finals. Since McGee did not play and Howard posted a team worst defensive rating of 135.7 in last night’s game, it’s highly likely the Lakers will opt not to play either of their traditional centers in tomorrow night’s Finals Game 6.
In many ways, the evolution of the center position for Frank Vogel and the Lakers this season has been a microcosm of the center revolution that has taken over the modern NBA in the wake of the ascension of the 3-point shot. The Lakers are fortunate that they have the perfect prototype of the modern NBA center in Anthony Davis. What they need to figure out going forward is who would be the ideal front court partner to optimize and protect Davis.
Re-signing Morris is going to be important and there are matchups like Jokic where a physical defender like Dwight Howard could be critical, although he may be offered more as a free agent than the Lakers could be willing to pay. The Lakers may prefer to re-sign DeMarcus Cousins, who would give the Lakers a true stretch five and whom Anthony Davis loved playing with when both were on the Pelicans, than bringing back Dwight Howard.
The Lakers might also prioritize pursuing a young power forward/center like Christian Wood or Myles Turner, who would better complement Anthony Davis and catapult the Lakers’ offense and defense into the modern NBA. Wood or Turner would not only give the Lakers a starting lineup with five players who can shoot the three ball and defend the perimeter but also the two bigs Vogel’s alway preferred to anchor the defense and protect the rim.
Despite the need for a playmaker, the Lakers’ priority this offseason should be to replace their traditional centers with modern centers who would complement Anthony Davis and revolutionize their offense and defense.
I really thought Frank’s loyalty and preference to play a traditional center was a big reason we lost Game 5. Howard played poorly, had a team worst defensive rating of 135.7 which derailed the Lakers at the start of the first and third quarters. We lost this game because we were always playing from behind, which saps energy and kills momentum.
Nothing the Heat players loved more than seeing Dwight trying to defend them out at the 3-point line. There were three easy threes they got off Dwight when he was in the game. I ended up screaming at the TV for Frank to bench Dwight. If he starts him in Game 6, I may have to turn off the TV to prevent a heart attack. Enough with the idea that JaVale or Dwight can be effective in the modern NBA where opposing teams consistently hunt switches.
And that’s the lesson for last night’s game, these playoffs, and the future for the center position on these Lakers. The illusion that playing traditional centers who can only dunk and protect the rim is a formula to win in the playoffs or against smart modern teams has hopefully been dropped in the dumpster as well as the future of McGee and Howard with the Lakers.
The Lakers top priority this offseason has to be to replace their tradtional centers with modern counterparts who shoot the three, defend on the perimeter, and make their free throws. With Rondo’s resurrection, our greatest need is to work a trade for a young, mobile, and athletic center like Christian Wood or Myles Turner and to replace Dwight Howard with DeMarcus Cousins.
U B correct my friend!
Still at it, Tom? Dang. When the Lakers win how do you cheer for the team when you didn’t, and still don’t, want almost all people on the team?
Lol.
You’re welcome, Peter.
lol
Howdy pete, nice seeing you around dude.
So I really liked this line of thinking because it stresses exactly what should be said and how the NBA woulkd be smart to adapt to. That there is a time and place for traditional centers. They can do yoeman’s work in the regular season, they get spot duty based on match ups in the playoffs and Finals.
But if they have other skills. Aye, there’s the rub. If they can pass, defend, and have range you’ve got a unique NBA weapon. Having AD save that for the post season made it fresh and deasly. That’s the goal of the regular season. Meant so very little this season, unfortunately.
Off season should be fun.
Excellent comment, Jamie. While the evolution of the center was driven by the rise of the 3-point shot, I think there is a second evolution that is going to balance the first evolution, which is the center who can defend against the 3-point shot. The epitome of that second evolution is Anthony Davis.
Up to now, many traditional centers have been able to adjust and become ‘modern’ centers by adding the 3-point shot. Examples include Boogie, Marc Gasol, Brook Lopez, Serge Ibaka, etc. They all have been able to save their careers by adapting.
But the next evolution will be more difficult and is the kind of change that can force the Cousins, Gasols, and Lopezes to the bench because they can’t physically defend on the perimeter the way Davis can. The result is going to be more and more power forward playing center, which makes sense since they have a better chance at defending on the perimeter.
Of course, that is going to lead to an evolution in what teams are looking for in power forwards and the league is going to continue to devalue traditional bigs whether centers or power forwards. Only difference is shooting won’t be enough to save many from becoming extinct.
What could though might be the next Shaq or totally unstoppable big man. But you know wherever he is right now, he’s working on his 3-point shot and ability to defend on the perimeter. Just saw a video of a young French player working out against Rudy Gobert who was 7′ 3″ with an 8′ length torching Rudy. AD is now the prototype and we’re going to see a wave of them coming down the pike.