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Six Reasons Why Lakers Could Be a Better Team with LeBron at the Five!

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One of the most exciting developments this Lakers’ season has been Frank Vogel’s recent small ball lineups with LeBron at the five and Melo at the four, which have shown great promise both offensively and defensively.

Last week I wrote Could the Evolution of LeBron James Be Small Ball Stretch Five for Lakers?Today I want to talk about why the Lakers should start playing more LeBron James at the five, even when AD is in the game. LeBron James is a basketball unicorn who can truly play all five positions. In his storied 19-year career, he has played point guard 6% of the time, shooting guard 7%, small forward 60%, power forward 26%, and center just 1%.

After the success of several lineup experiments with LeBron at the five and Melo at the four, Frank Vogel announced the Lakers will be incorporating variations of the what he calls their ‘centerless lineups’ in their repertoire. The Lakers’ ‘centerless lineup’ with Westbrook, Ellington, Monk, Anthony, and James showed great promise in two of the last three games and variation where Howard replaced James in the lineup was equally promising.

Assuming the Lakers play their ‘centerless lineup’ with LeBron at the five for 6 minutes in the first half and 6 in the second half, LeBron could end up at spending 12 minutes or 30% of his 40 minutes per game playing the five. Considering LeBron’s success at the five and AD’s preference for the four, the obvious next question is whether the Lakers should consider a variation of their ‘centerless lineup’ that has James at the five and Davis at the four?

Could the Lakers truly be an even better team with LeBron James at the five and Anthony Davis at the four? Could LeBron James actually could be the better center and Anthony Davis the better power forward for this team? Nobody sees the game the way LeBron James does and starting his move to what will ultimately be the logical lineup position to finish his career could end up being transformative for the Lakers’ current rotation and lineups.

The Lakers urgently need a catalyst to set a fire to their season and playing LeBron James at the five could be that catalyst. Here are six reasons why the Lakers could be a better team with LeBron James playing the five:

1. LeBron Is the Lakers’ Best Option as a Stretch Five Center

No player on the Lakers is better suited to play stretch five than LeBron. His volume 3-point shooting and low post power game enable him to play small or big. He would become the LA Lakers version of Nikola Jokic.

2. LeBron at Center Excels in Organizing and Directing Defense

LeBron at the five is about defense. It’s about LeBron playing Minister of Defense for the Lakers like Draymond Green does for the Warriors, calling out opponents’ plays and choreographing the Lakers defense shifts.

3. LeBron at Center Is More Engaged and Plays Better Defense

There’s no question playing center gets LeBron James more engaged in the game defensively since he acts like the team’s middle linebacker. The bonus is playing James at the five unleashes LeBron to play superstar level defense.

4. LeBron at Center Does a Better Job Boxing Out and Rebounding

As good as AD is as a rebounder, he rarely boxes out his man. LeBron, on the other hand, is one of the few Lakers who usually do a great job rebounding. Nothing beats LeBron starting a fast break with a rebound.

5. LeBron Has Low Center of Gravity to Defend Bigger Centers

Having a low center of gravity that makes you essentially unmovable is the biggest asset LeBron James has over Anthony Davis. His combination of size, smarts, power, and athleticism enable him to defend any kind of center.

6. LeBron Willingly Plays the Five But AD Prefers the Four

Anthony Davis does not want to play the five. His game is more finesse than power and he prefers to face up his defender rather than post him up. LeBron, on the other hand, loves to post up or shoot threes over centers.

Whom Should the Los Angeles Lakers Start Alongside Superstar Big Three?

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As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare for the 2021–22 season opener against the Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, the big question is who is going to start alongside LeBron, AD, and Westbrook.

Untimely injuries to Trevor Ariza as well as Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, and Wayne Ellington have derailed Lakers ‘ head coach Frank Vogel’s basic plan to have the same starting lineup all season long. Earlier in the season, the Lakers likely starting lineup was projected to include the three superstars plus Wayne Ellington and Trevor Ariza but it now appears neither will be available to play Tuesday night due to injuries.

Although Monk and Nunn both returned to practice today, there’s been no official word yet as to whether they’ll be ready to play Tuesday night. Right now, here are the four best options Vogel has to fill out the starting lineup:

1. KENT BAZEMORE, STARTING SMALL FORWARD

While the Lakers struggled and lost all six of their preseason games, Kent Bazemore was clearly one of the team’s bright spots, playing solid perimeter defense and shooting 36% on a respectable volume of 4.2 threes per game.

While his 112.1 defensive rating for the preseason only ranked 13th on the Lakers and his offensive rating of 89.0 ranked 15th on the team, Bazemore was singled out by Vogel for his excellent defense and 3-point shooting. While only 6′ 4″ and 195 pounds, Kent has a 7′ 0″ wingspan that enables him to play and defend both the shooting guard and small forward positions. His greatest ‘ability’ might be his availability as injuries limit his competitors.

With Ariza out for another 6 to 8 weeks, Bazemore may have locked up the fourth starting spot because of his balance of shooting and defense. That he also started five of the six preseason games is a solid indication he will start.

2. DEANDRE JORDAN, STARTING CENTER

Frank Vogel loves two big defenders in his starting lineups and seems hell bent on repeating the twin towers lineups from the Lakers’ championship in the bubble with DeAndre Jordan assuming JaVale McGee’s starting role.

While Jordan had a poor 91.7 offensive rating, 105.0 defensive rating, and -13.3 net rating for preseason, he did start at center in the Lakers’ final preseason game, which was labeled as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for opening night. The problem with starting Jordan at the five is it moves Anthony Davis to the four and leaves only shooting guard as a position for a high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter to create spacing for the Lakers’ superstars.

While the Lakers won a championship starting a low post center in the regular season, starting Jordan would be a major mistake that would leave the starting lineup without enough 3-point shooting to create spacing.

3. CARMELO ANTHONY, STARTING POWER FORWARD

The injuries to Ariza, Horton-Tucker, Ellington, Monk, and Nunn may force coach Frank Vogel to start Carmelo Anthony at power forward alongside Anthony Davis at center with LeBron James then moving to small forward.

This might not be the permanent starting lineup Frank Vogel was hoping for but at least it does include Anthony Davis playing the five and two starting spots for elite 3-point shooters between Melo and whoever plays the two. Because of Mel’s subpar defense, the Lakers would likely have to start Bazemore at the two so they would not end up with two poor defenders. Melo did shoot 43.5% on 4.6 threes per game, second best to Malik Monk.

With the injuries limiting Vogel’s choice, starting Melo and Bazemore may be the best Frank Vogel can do right now to give the Lakers size and shooting to go with their superstar big three of James, Davis, and Westbrook.

4. AUSTIN REAVES, STARTING SHOOTING GUARD

Austin Reaves has been the surprise of the Lakers’ preseason. Undrafted, he impressed enough to earn a two-way contract, which was then converted to a regular NBA contract as the 23-year old enjoyed a breakout training camp.

Reaves is a long shot to start alongside LeBron, AD, and Russ but the 23-year old, 6′ 5,” and 195 pound shooting guard could well be the Lakers’ best option to start at the two due to his solid 3-point shooting and defense. What Austin brings to the starting lineup is a balance of savvy playmaking, high volume and quality 3-point shooting, great size and rotational instincts on defense, and solid basketball IQ and great maturity as a rookie.

If Frank Vogel’s goal in building a starting lineup is to surround LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook with the two players who best complement them, then Austin Rivers should be the starting shooting guard.

There are obviously other candidates besides the above four whom Frank Vogel could decide might start for the Lakers along with the superstar big three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.

Of the other seven players on the roster, I excluded Ariza, Horton-Taylor, or Ellington as they’re unlikely to be available and Howard, Nunn, Monk, or Rondo, as they’re all far better suited to come off the bench for the Lakers. I’m hoping Frank Vogel does not start DeAndre Jordan as that would create major spacing issues for the Lakers’ starting lineup and leave the Lakers vulnerable to not having enough 3-point shooting to win enough games.

In the end, Vogel’s best starting option to complement the big three would be Austin Reaves and Kent Bazemore because of shooting and defense. Second best option would be Kent Bazemore and Carmelo Anthony.

Six Areas Where Los Angeles Lakers Dramatically Improved Their Offense!

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After an injury plagued season, dismal first round exit, and 24th worst offensive rating, the Lakers revamped their entire roster in an extreme makeover to transform their offense into a potentially lethal juggernaut.

Aside from superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, 20-year old guard Talen Horton-Tucker appears to be the only other player the Lakers are bringing back from their 2020–21 roster, assuming Marc Gasol’s also gone. The extreme makeover confirms the Lakers didn’t believe they could win with last year’s roster or that they had enough offensive firepower to keep up with the emerging superteam the Brooklyn Nets have put together.

While the Lakers may have ignored players from last year’s roster, they were not afraid to bring back several key players from their bubble championship team, including star point guard Rajon Rondo and center Dwight Howard. They also didn’t hesitate to dip into their own history and bring back several former Lakers players who are excellent fits for what the they need right now, including veterans Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington, and Trevor Ariza.

The Lakers upgraded six offensive areas in their makeover: volume 3-point shooting, better playmaking, more lobs and dunks at the rim, enhanced offensive rebounding, faster transition offense, and more shot creators.

1. PLAYMAKING TO FREE LEBRON TO PLAY OFF THE BALL

The Lakers number one goal this offseason was to find a ‘difference-making playmaker’ so LeBron James could evolve from the team’s defacto point guard and to full-time power forward to save energy and extend his career.

The mega trade for Russell Westbrook opened the door for the Lakers to add a legitimate third superstar, something that’s extremely valuable over a long season and empowers them to matchup better against the Brooklyn Nets. Most importantly, the trade allows the Lakers to finally move LeBron James to the four and Anthony Davis to the five, the positions at which they play the best and the team’s lineups excel both offensively and defensively.

While Westbrook exacerbates rather than helps solve the Lakers need for more and better 3-point shooting, the opportunity to add a dynamic third superstar who averages a triple-double like he does could not be passed up. What Russ brings in the form of relentlessness, energy, and explosivelness at both ends more than offsets the additional pressure he brings for more high volume, high percentage 3-point shooting to create spacing.

Re-signing Rajon Rondo, third best player in their championship run in the bubble, completes the Lakers’ plan to upgrade team playmaking not only to reduce the workload on LeBron but also to win the minutes when he rests.

2. VOLUME 3-POINT SHOOTING TO CREATE SPACING

Once the Lakers decided to go all in on a third superstar by trading for Russell Westbrook, Rob Pelinka’s focus immediately shifted to looking for high volume, high percentage 3-point shooters to create spacing.

Assuming Westbrook would play the one, James the four, and Davis the five, Pelinka focused on adding players who could play both the two and three, assuming those were the positions to dedicate to volume 3-point shooters. The Lakers signed six tested and proven veteran 3-point shooters who could play the two or three and who take a high volume of threes and make them at a high percentage to create spacing to unleash their three superstars.

The Lakers’ new corps of 3-point sharpshooters includes Wayne Ellington, who shot 42.2% on 6.0 threes per game, Kendrick Nunn, who shot 38.1% on 5.7 threes per game, and Malik Monk, who shot 40.1 on 5.0 threes per game. Other 3-point shooters include Carmelo Anthony, who shot 40.9% on 4.7 threes per game, Trevor Ariza, who shot 35.0% on 4.8 threes per game, and Kent Bazemore, who shot 40.8 on 2.7 threes per game.

With three superstars who are subpar 3-point shooters, the Lakers are not going to suddenly become a top-ten 3-point shooting team but they have the players to take and make a lot more threes than the last two years.

3. VERTICAL GRAVITY OFF LOBS AND DUNKS AT THE RIM

The Lakers attempted to upgrade their offense after winning their 17th championship by replacing traditional low post centers JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard with offensive centers Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell.

Unfortunately, that move undermined the Lakers’ rim protection and also reduced the number of dunks at the rim by all of their centers, including Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, and Andre Drummond. During their championship season, the Lakers led the league with 528 dunks. Last year, they had only 342 dunks, which represented a 35% decrease or 186 fewer dunks even though they carried four different centers on the roster.

While there’s no discernable proof that teams who dunk more win more, the Lakers strongly believe their dominating front court, demoralizing dunks, and physical bully ball style of play were part of their championship puzzle. Dwight Howard’s return, DeAndre Jordan’s signing, LeBron James’ move to power forward, and Anthony Davis’ increased minutes at center should all contribute to the Lakers bouncing back and leading the league in dunks.

The Lakers are clearly reverting back to the bully ball and physical play formula that won their bubble championship. They intend to lead and intimidate the league in blocked shots a dunks thrown down a the rim.

4. OFFENSIVE REBOUNDING AND DOMINATING THE GLASS

Just as the loss of McGee and Howard resulted in less rim protection on defense and vertical gravity on offense, the Lakers’ offensive rebounding stats declined with Gasol, Harrell, and Drummond at center last season.

During their championship run, the Lakers were 7th in the league in offensive rebounding with 10.7 offensive boards per game. Last season, with a new center corps, they fell to 17th with 9.7 offensive boards per game. With LeBron at the four and AD at the five and two backup centers in Howard and Jordan who have histories of being aggressive rebounders, the Lakers should be ready for a big bounce back in offensive rebounds.

Dominating the glass offensively can be demoralizing as a team can play great defense for 24 seconds only to see their opponent grab an offensive rebound and get another 14 seconds to attack the defense and try to score. Dominating the glass defensively is the key to the Lakers’ ability to score in transition offense as teams need the ball in order to run. The Lakers’ fast break starts with somebody on the team grabbing the ball and running.

The Lakers’ goal is to dominate the glass at both ends of the court, grabbing defensive rebounds to trigger transition fast breaks on offense and snagging offensive rebounds to generate second chance points on defense.

5. LEAGUE LEADING TRANSITION AND EARLY OFFENSE

During the 2019–20 championship season, the Lakers played at a 101.20 pace, which was the 7th best pace in the NBA that year. Last season, the Lakers pace dropped to 98.85, 21st out of the 30 teams in the league.

The single biggest change the Lakers will experience this season after trading for triple-double point guru Russell Westbrook is a dramatic increase in the team’s pace and points in transition or early offense opportunities. Last season, Westbrook posted a triple-double of 22.2 points, 11.5 boards, and 11.7 assists in 36.4 minutes per game with a league. With his relentless energy, Russ led the run-and-gun Wizards to a league best pace of 104.67.

Besides playing at a faster than normal pace, the Lakers have been one of the most efficient transition teams, scoring on a 3rd best 52.9% of chances last season and on a 4th best 52.2% of chances in their championship run. The addition of Westbrook should only add to the Lakers’ efficiency in creating transition and early offense opportunities. No NBA team can match the Lakers fast break. They will literally reprise their Showtime days.

The Lakers should lead the NBA in transition opportunities and execution with elite fast break playmakers like Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo, and LeBron James attacking the rim, dishing out dimes, and finishing dunks.

6. MULTIPLE SCORERS WHO CAN GET THEIR OWN SHOT

The final area of offense the Lakers dramatically upgraded this offseason was adding proven big time scorers other than LeBron and AD capable of getting their own shots off the bounce when games were on the line.

Heading that list of players who could get their own high quality shot when needed are Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook, two veteran scorers with a history of being able to get points for their teams down the stretch. Russ finished with 76.3% of his points scored in isolation and Melo with an 51.7% of his points in isolation. Both are proven veteran scorers with moves and handles to create high quality shots for themselves when needed.

Having two additional stars who are comfortable being isolated with the ball and able to create shots for themselves besides LeBron, AD, and Russ makes the Lakers offense much more dangerous and unpredictable. Teams won’t be able to double LeBron or AD like they were the last two years since they will have to respect Russ’ and Melo’s ability to beat their man off the dribble and create a high quality shot to close out games.

The addition of Russ and Melo have given the Lakers two more star scorers for teams to fear down the stretch of games besides James and Davis. It will be interesting to see whom the Lakers close games with this season.

Lakers Fast Break- Are The Lakers Headed To A Championship? With Joe Soro!

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Joe Soro, a forum member of lakersball.com stops by to talk about all the big moves this offseason. He shares his thoughts on many of the players coming on for this season including Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, Carmelo Anthony, and more! Could this mean that a championship could be not too far behind? And what does Joe want for an ultimate goal for the franchise? Find out what he thinks on the latest Lakers Fast Break podcast!

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