The term “Death Lineup” is synonymous with the Golden State Warriors. The small ball lineup started with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green. Kevin Durant took Barnes' place and the rest is history.
Teams around the league are looking to capture the same magic of that the Dubs have founded. The Lakers are planning to develop their own version of the “Death Lineup” with LeBron James at center, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
One Lakers executive told Pincus:
“We may not see this on day one, but the coaching staff is eager to see our version of the [Warriors'] Death Lineup with Lonzo [Ball], Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, [Kyle] Kuzma and LeBron.”
It's hard to dislike the prospect of those five playing together. Can this lineup beat Golden State? Probably not. But that doesn't mean this won't be a successful and fun unit with James playing alongside four exciting, young players.
LeBron at the five may seem strange at first glance, but this lineup can work because James can defend any position on the floor, including most centers. The rest of the lineup contains youth and athleticism, and all five on the floor can rebound and shoot from the outside. Of course, Ball is a streaky shooter, but his shot should improve in time.
Outside of James, the other four players are under the age of 23. It may not look like a traditional lineup, but the Lakers aren't worried about convention.
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