5. Start Ed Davis
Betsided
The last one seems like the most obvious change to make for anyone who has even watched one game this season. The most frustrating player on the Lakers this season, starting lineup or not, has been Carlos Boozer. While he’s averaging 12.9 points in 27.7 minutes, he’s grabbing just 6.0 rebounds, shooting just 47.8% from the field, and averaging an impressive inept 0.1 blocks a game.
On the other hand, you have Ed Davis, arguably the most impressive young Lakers on the roster so far this year. In 23.6 minutes, he’s putting up 9.2 points, grabbing 6.7 rebounds, and averaging 1.7 blocks. For an idea of comparing the two sides against each other, let’s look at their 36-minute stats.
Boozer – 16.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 0.1 blocks
Davis – 14.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks
What you may lose with offensive production from Boozer is more than made up for on the boards and on the defensive end. Davis’ offensive rating is high this season that Boozer’s (123 to 103) and his defensive rating is better (113 to 118).
More importantly, Davis doesn’t need the ball in the post to be as effective. He’s a willing screener, rolls hard to the basket, and does the dirty work.
A by-product would be improved scoring off the bench for Boozer, who could still be a reliable big man off the bench in spurts. It seems like a win-win scenario for both sides.