Finding the Perfect Rotation for the Los Angeles Lakers
There’s something a little incongruous about finding the perfect rotation for the Los Angeles Lakers—a team that has won only one game in six tries.
But perhaps there were some clues in that lone triumph—the Lakers had a strong second half Sunday night to beat the Charlotte Hornets, 107-92.
Currently in his 19th NBA season, 36-year-old Kobe Bryant is leading his team with 26.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, three assists and 1.5 steals in 34.4 minutes per game. He also has a massive usage rate of 38.2, which is the highest in the league as well as his heftiest rate in a decade.
He’ll probably be ground to a fine dust by the All-Star break unless some help arrives soon.
L.A.'s first win was taken with a grain of salt by the five-time NBA champion, per Beth Harris of The Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports): "We got to start somewhere," Bryant said.
It has been a time of great frustration in the land of purple and gold.
As reported by Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times, Lakers coach Byron Scott recently admitted to a rising tide of emotion: “[I'm] not angry—even frustrated. No, I think it's more 'angry,' if I have to choose one of those two words, I think it's more angry than anything.”
Did the coach’s demeanor change once his team got their first win? Not so much. Per Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation, Scott said after the game: “We are nowhere near where we want to be, but it’s a long season.”
There was one more recent expression of exasperation that feels prescient in light of Sunday’s win. Per Serena Winters of Lakers Nation, backup shooting guard Wayne Ellington said after the team’s fifth loss: “We should be mad. We should treat next game like it’s Game 7 of a championship. We’ve got to win.”
And indeed they did, with Ellington contributing nine points in 19 minutes on three-of-four shooting, including a three-pointer.
Maybe a change in the rotation is in order. But it’s also important to note that events beyond Scott’s control threw a wrench into the lineup from the earliest stages.
Injuries
At the beginning of the season, Steve Nash was the presumed starting point guard until his back got so bad that his entire season was cancelled. Similarly, the anticipation was that Nick “Swaggy P” Young would pour in points off the bench. Unfortunately, he tore a ligament in his right thumb during training camp and isn’t expected to return until early December.
Finally, it was assumed that Ed Davis would back up Jordan Hill at the center position and that rookie Julius Randle would come on behind veteran power forward Carlos Boozer. That went out the window when the No. 7 draft pick broke his leg in his NBA debut.
What on earth are the Lakers supposed to do? This isn’t a roster filled with magic bullets.
The adjustments don’t have to be wholesale to be effective.
Backcourt
Jeremy Lin is starting to find his groove. The win against Charlotte was his most complete game since arriving in Los Angeles, as he finished with 21 points, seven assists, three boards and a steal.
Ronnie Price also had a solid game as Lin’s backup, with seven points, eight assists, three steals and two rebounds.
So are there no changes necessary in the guard rotation? Actually, there could be, and it would also involve a shift at the wing.
Wesley Johnson has simply not been getting it done at the small forward position or when guarding shooting guards. Additionally, Xavier Henry hasn’t shown his typical assertiveness since coming back after his long injury layoff.
The return of Young will eventually make a difference, but the Lakers may have dug too big a hole by then.
Moving Bryant over to the 3 could help save his legs and also put him into his natural sweet spots to score. This has never been totally out of the question. But who moves into his shooting guard position?
The answer could be Ellington, who has played well alongside Bryant, including Sunday night.
The 27-year-old journeyman had an undistinguished career in his five previous seasons—all except for one brief shining moment when he was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through the 2012-13 season and wound up averaging a career-best 10.4 points in 38 games played.
His coach at the time was none other than Scott, who said to Jodie Valade of The Cleveland Plain Dealer: “I trust him when he’s put there because I know he’s going to do all the right things. He’s just a solid basketball player… He plays within himself and competes. He’s not afraid of the moment.”
Frontcourt
It’s not only about finding a better solution than Johnson at small forward. There’s also the matter of Boozer's defensive woes. He may have had a decent shooting night Sunday night, scoring 16 points, but he gives up as many points as he makes.
Switching Davis into the starting lineup is a step in the right direction. He has the highest rebound and block percentage rates of anyone on the team and takes it as a personal challenge when anyone tries to score in his neck of the woods.
Now in his fifth season, the 25-year-old is averaging 10.3 points, 6.8 boards and 1.3 blocks in just 22.7 minutes per game. He also has the best field-goal efficiency of anyone on the team at an eye-opening 71 percent.
As for on-floor chemistry, Lin and Davis have connected well during their moments together on the floor, with the big man diving out of high pick-and-rolls and getting the lob to finish at the basket.
During the preseason, Drew Garrison for Silver Screen and Roll wrote about the pair meshing off the bench:
"Davis setting strong screens to create space for Lin, and Lin actively looking for Davis around the basket, has been one of the finer points of the Lakers' offense through preseason. Los Angeles has struggled to find flow in its offense, and the bench duo brings a different look by changing the pace and style of the game.
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Check out Garrison's YouTube video of the two working together off pick-and-roll sets:
These are the moments that energize a crowd. It's now time for Davis to thrive alongside Lin as a fellow starter.
What about Boozer? He’ll have to be a pro and deal with coming off the bench.
Center
Jordan Hill was re-signed by the Lakers this summer to deliver more of what he gave them last season, but in bigger doses. Namely, high-intensity rebounding, rim protection and close-range scoring.
Imagine everyone’s surprise when the 27-year-old low-post specialist developed a penchant for taking and making mid-range shots.
Hill is the team’s second-leading scorer at 14.3 points while also adding 8.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 29.8 minutes per game.
The starting center is also doing a nice job setting the table for his teammates.
Robert Sacre will continue to play the part of the utility backup big man, as Ryan Kelly has played a total of seven minutes so far this season due to nagging hamstring problems.
Is this a perfect rotation? Certainly not, but it allows an opportunity for a bit of a shakeup without the kind of rancor that can accompany a reduction in roles for star players. After all, Boozer and Johnson are on low-cost, one-year deals and should be happy with whatever minutes they get. If they want to earn their way back into the starting lineup, so much the better.
At Scott’s introductory press conference this summer, he mentioned the fail-safe for players who don’t live up to his standards, saying, “The only thing you can really control with players is their minutes. That gets their attention.”
It’s time to get everybody’s attention before the season’s storyline becomes about tanking and next year’s draft.
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