Three Possible Starting 5s for the Lakers On Opening Night
By Jacob Rude
Lin/Bryant/Johnson/Hill/Davis
If Byron Scott stays true to his philosophy of defense first, then this is the best lineup he can do. With it, you have a younger, more athletic Jeremy Lin at point guard. Still, calling Lin your best defensive point guard is a sign of just how dire things are in LA right now.
At small forward, you have the amazingly athletic, but frustrating offensively-limited Wesley Johnson. His defensive skills are way ahead of his offensive one and he can take the better of the perimeter players between he and Bryant.
Down low, Hill and Ed Davis present the best duo of big men on the defensive end. Hill’s athleticism lends himself nicely on the defensive end, ranking tied for second in defensive rating on last year’s squad. His rebounding ability is unquestioned, though. Davis ranked as one of the better rim protectors last year, albeit on limited minutes.
This also gives Scott a lot of firepower off the bench in Boozer, Julius Randle, Xavier Henry, and Nick Young.