Lakers News: Byron Scott Wise to Play Kobe Bryant at Point Guard

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott refuses to stop tinkering with his squad. With the team off to a 6-16 start, it's about all he can do to prove that he's committed to turning things around and winning games. Point guard Jeremy Lin was recently demoted in favor of Ronnie Price, with Carlos Boozer joining him for an early shift on the courtside seats.

Position changes appear to be in the works as well. After the Lakers' 98-95 comeback win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night, Kobe Bryant could be seeing a few more minutes playing the role of floor general in the Lakers lineup.

According to the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan, Scott wants to insert Bryant at point guard for some time in two of the team's next three games.

"You will see it again. I thought it was very effective,” he said, via Bresnahan. “I feel real good when the ball is in his hands. No. 1, he can get his own shot, obviously. No. 2, he can create shots for his teammates."

If the Lakers are truly committed to being a more competitive team this season—as if Bryant would even have it any other way—Scott's choice here is a wise one.

Bryant has held the Lakers offense hostage for much of the season. His usage rate stands at a staggering 36.4 percent, and he's making just 39 percent of the 22.4 shots he's taking per contest. With talented scorers like Nick Young on the team and a hardworking post player like Jordan Hill, it's an unnecessary way for the Lakers to go about things this season.

Playing Kobe at point guard might turn the facilitator switch in his brain permanently to the "on" position, benefiting the players around him and making the team eminently more watchable as a result.

In the Lakers' back-to-back wins over the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons this season, Bryant put up 12 and 13 assists, respectively. In both of those contests, all five Lakers starters scored in double figures, while Young added a total of 39 points off the bench in those two games. Sure, the Pistons are arguably a worse team than the Lakers, but the Raptors are clearly no slouches. 

This doesn't necessarily mean a benevolent Bryant correlates with the Lakers winning—he put up a total of 14 assists in the team's first three wins of the season—but those two contests are the most recent example of the Lakers playing like a team that actually cares to get everyone involved.

If Bryant does see more time at point guard, don't expect the minutes to come right after tipoff.

"I’ve thought about starting him at the point and I even talked to him about it,” Scott said Wednesday, via Bresnahan. “I said, 'I’m thinking about it but I’m not there yet.'"

This means either Lin or Price will likely see extensive minutes running the show, but both players have certainly had their issues this season, especially when it comes to taking care of the ball.

Lin averages 2.5 turnovers against just 4.8 assists per game, while Price has a turnover percentage of 19.5 this season and poses little to no scoring threat with a 30.8 field-goal percentage. Lakers Nation noted the Kings didn't mind playing off him on Tuesday night:

Bryant's turnover percentage stands at just 11.3 percent, but it wouldn't be surprising if that number rose after some more time as the team's primary ball-handler. Still, considering his astronomical usage rate and the amount of time he spends dribbling the ball in one-on-one matchups against defenders, he should be able to take better care of the ball than either Lin or Price.

Of course, his 10 turnovers against the Pistons are a sign he might be prone to trying to do to much as a main passer. Indeed, extra possessions for the opposition is a death sentence for a team as poor defensively as the Lakers.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Moving Bryant to the point guard also opens up more scoring opportunities on the wing for Young and perhaps playing time for Wayne Ellington, who is playing just 17.6 minutes per game despite having the fifth-best player efficiency rating of any Laker who's appeared in at least four games this season.

Bryant at point guard might be a smart move as far as the offense is concerned, but it will have little to no effect on what truly ails the Lakers, which is their rickety defense. Los Angeles is dead last in defensive efficiency, allowing 111.4 points per 100 possessions, per ESPN.com.

Scott clearly hasn't given up on solving the myriad problems on that end of the floor considering he recently benched Boozer in favor of Ed Davis, who has the best defensive efficiency rating on the team. Scott will have to be very careful with his lineup choices with Bryant at point guard, as opposing teams—specifically at the point guard position—will counter bigger lineups with speed and agility, two things this Lakers squad obviously lacks.

Bleacher Report's own Kevin Ding noted how Scott dealt with this against the Kings:

Until the defensive issues are at the very least alleviated—and on a team featuring a motley crew of poor defenders, there is no guarantee they will be—the Lakers will struggle to win games. Bryant at point guard at least gives them the opportunity to look polished on one end of the court.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.