Los Angeles Lakers: A Look at Mike Brown's Player Minutes and Rotations
After experimenting through the first nine games of the regular season, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown appears to have solidified his lineups and player rotations.
There have been a few surprises but more sure things as Mike Brown tinkers with Laker personnel.
Let's have a look at Mike Brown's Laker rotations.
Starting Five
1 of 5The Lakers starting five looks the same as last year with the exception of the SF position.
The season began with Devin Ebanks holding down the SF position. After showing promise in the preseason, Ebanks failed to capitalize on his starting role, particularly on the defensive end.
So Mike Brown turned to eight-year veteran Matt Barnes to steady the starting the five.
Barnes is coming off his best game of the season versus Golden State (16 points, 5 rebs, 4 assists) and appears to be getting into his groove after not seeing the floor much the first five games of the year.
| Position | Player |
| PG | Derek Fisher |
| SG | Kobe Bryant |
| SF | Matt Barnes |
| PF | Pau Gasol |
| C | Andrew Bynum |
Second Unit
2 of 5The "Peace Corps" have been bolstered by strong play from Metta World Peace, taking over Lamar Odom's role as the team's sixth man.
MWP started the season off strong but has cooled off the last three games.
Steve Blake has showed great improvement in his jump shot this season, scoring an average of 7.6 points with 2.7 assists and 1.3 three-point buckets per game.
Depending upon flow of the game, Brown will assign Laker bigs Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum to play with the second unit and anchor the frontcourt.
Otherwise, Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy, who both played together for the Indiana Pacers two seasons ago, hold court down low for the Peace Corps.
| Position | Player |
| PG | Steve Blake |
| SG | Jason Kapono |
| SF | Metta World Peace |
| PF | Josh McRoberts |
| C | Troy Murphy |
Super Subs
3 of 5As noted, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy have all been mixed and matched with lineups on the floor to hold down the PF/C positions with both the starting five and bench units.
In the backcourt, Lakers rookie Andrew Goudelock has been seeing playing time behind Kobe Bryant, serving as his primary back-up. Goudelock's minutes are limited, though, as Bryant averages 35.8 minutes per game even with a torn ligament in his right wrist.
Devin Ebanks has also been used with the first and second units, though has shown a lack of confidence in his rotations and playmaking.
Perhaps the demotion from the starting lineup can jump start Ebanks' game and live up to the promise he showed during the Lakers' offseason.
Odd Men Out
4 of 5Surprisingly, Lakers rookie Darius Morris has not seen a single minute at the PG position this year.
The elevated play of Steve Blake has left D-Mo to straddle the bench, often wearing a business suit instead of Laker warm-ups.
Still considered the Lakers' PG of the future, D-Mo needs to remain mentally sharp and ready for when his number is called.
Luke Walton has rarely seen the floor this season due to the logjam at the SF position. When he has played, Walton has struggled to keep up on defense and has not been consistent offensively.
Jason Kapono and his sharpshooting ability provide a better option for Mike Brown than does Walton.
Mike Brown's Player Minutes
5 of 5Mike Brown is giving his franchise cornerstones Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol extended minutes each game, both averaging around 35 minutes.
Brown runs the risk of wearing down his superstars, but he certainly knows better than to tell Kobe Bryant to "cool it." Mamba can handle his own conditioning himself.
Fish and Steve Blake are in a timeshare at the PG position. Fish averages 23.6 minutes per game while Blake averages 24.7. So far, the two have combined to give the Lakers stability at PG, a weakness noted by analysts during the offseason.
Andrew Bynum is up there with Pau and Kobe in terms of minutes, averaging 34.2 minutes per game.
Drew should be well rested after serving a four-game suspension to start the season and, so long as he's healthy, he'll be the primary focus on the floor.
Mike Brown's rotations seem to be solidified at this point. Barring fatigue, a drop-off in play or a lack of chemistry, Laker fans can expect to see these same rotations going forward.
