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With the Los Angeles Lakers having a massive overhaul in their roster from last season, continuity and chemistry has been a huge issue for this franchise. Most of their players have been in-and-out of the lineup and the Lakers coaching staff has had a difficult time finding the perfect rotation for his team. Many of the individuals from the Lakers possess the same skill set, but there are only a few of them that have produced consistently.
Unfortunately, superstar Anthony Davis has sustained another injury that will force him to miss at least four-six weeks. Thus, LA is missing another enormous piece of the puzzle, but has found a remarkable lineup with LeBron James at center surrounded by four wings and guards. It gives them the spacing and versatility for James and Russell Westbrook to maximize their talent and create offense for themselves and others. As the team continues playing these lineups for more minutes, it could finally be a terrific sight for LA.
Utilize the shooting prowess of other players
The idea of putting shooters alongside James has been a recipe for success over the course of his career, but this iteration of the Lakers lacks the reliable shooters. Over the past few games, utilizing Malik Monk and Carmelo Anthony with James is putting them in a better position to convert wide open shots in numerous possessions every game. Monk has scored over 20 points over the past two games just through constant movement and catch and shoot shots.
Even if they still have Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan on their roster, it seems advisable for them to just play Davis (when he comes back) and James at the five for majority of the game. Howard or Jordan can be given a few minutes in certain matchups against Nikola Jokic or Deandre Ayton. Vogel and Fizdale must realize that their small-ball lineups have been sensational this season because opposing bigs are forced to guard James or their wings, which causes chaos and leads to more open shots.
Versatility with their defensive schemes
With James at the five, he can be a free safety on the paint for his teammates that are being blown by on certain drives to the hoop. James is able to have a similar role to Draymond Green or Giannis Antetokounmpo as his responsibility would be even more vital in the struggling defense of the Lakers. They do not have many brilliant defenders on their squad anymore, such as Alex Caruso or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
As Davis is their best defensive option, their defense will struggle even more during his absence. Thus, the coaching staff must continually experiment with certain methods to bolster their problem in that side of that court. Frank Vogel and the Lakers are popularly known for their philosophies in defense, but that has been major problem for them this year. Even with their three stars, it is still necessary for these three leaders to play magnificent defense for their teammates to be influenced and be motivated to contain their own man.
Numerous mismatches all over the floor
As James has been phenomenal these past two weeks, a huge amount of his success has been predicated to putting his head down and attack the rim constantly. Even at 37 years old, there is still no one in the association that could stop him with full speed toward the rim. Moreover, that makes it even worse for their opponents if James is matched up with a smaller player on pick and roll switches.
If he is playing at the five, it is automatic for a smaller individual to try preventing him from scoring baskets. Along with James' legendary basketball IQ, he will be able to spot certain mismatches like putting a center to guard Westbrook from the perimeter. As defenses would try blitzing James on pick and roll situations to force him to give up the rock, he has the instinct and timing to feed it to the right player at the perfect time.
With several Western Conference teams struggling as well, one excellent month for the Lakers could propel them to at least a top five seed. As individuals continue returning from health and safety protocols and Davis in the next few weeks, it could finally be the time for them to have a complete lineup to develop chemistry and camaraderie. Lakers fans are dreading for constant victories already, but they must remain patient with the aging but experienced squad.
