Should Wes Johnson start, or should Kobe move to the 3 and Wayne Ellington start?
Patterson: Wes should start because of defense. Kobe would get absolutely torched by opposing threes because they would just beat him with speed and strength. Putting Wayne in at the two would give us four defensive liabilities in the starting lineup which is WAY to many. Although Wes hasn’t been a lock down defender, he has not been a liability either.
Morales: The Lakers first unit struggles to start games well. Wes isn’t a scorer. Boozer is hopeless. Lin isn’t aggressive. So Kobe does what Kobe does. Adding Ellington to the back court as a scorer spreads the floor, gives Lin and Kobe more driving room and adds punch to the starters.
Will you miss on defense? Some. But with Wes starting the Lakers give up 115 points a game. He’s not Tony Allen out there.
Sanchez: Wesley Johnson should be starting, without a doubt. Don’t get me wrong, I like Wayne Ellington, but this Lakers team is undersized as it is. Running lineups with Kobe Bryant playing small forward will hinder the team’s already weak defense, as well as their rebounding. Johnson should start, without question.
Rude: As Valerie said, Johnson isn’t locking down defenders. The Lakers are getting lit up with him on the court. He’s no defensive savant. The Lakers closed the Phoenix game with Lin-Ellington-Bryant as the back court. Ellington provides spacing for Lin and Bryant, which the Lakers have very little of. Right now, something needs to change for LA.