Lakers Offseason: Why Playing Kobe at SF Benefits LA
By Eric Yee
Since the early hustle and bustle of the off season, movement around the NBA has nearly drawn to a complete standstill. The most recent Lakers news revolves around Byron Scott’s acknowledgement that Kobe Bryant will indeed play the 3 spot and Kobe’s acceptance of the task.
“this immersion of future and tradition, youth and experience, may prove to be exactly what the downtrodden Lakers need to turn their fortunes around”
Scott’s admittance, along with the organization’s decision to draft D’Angelo Russell over Jahlil Okafor, signals that the Golden State Warriors’ small ball game plan has sent ripples throughout the Lakers’ front office leaving them at an awkward cross roads.
Do they embrace the future or stick with what they know? The Lakers’ pick up of a traditional 7 foot center in Roy Hibbert makes the organization’s intentions that much more difficult to read.
That said, this immersion of future and tradition, youth and experience, may prove to be exactly what the downtrodden Lakers need to turn their fortunes around. Here’s a few reasons why Kobe’s position change will yield dividends for this young Lakers team.
1. More Playing Time for Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell
If we have learned anything as fans this past season it is that playing in an actual NBA game is immensely different from practice — Julius Randle’s underwhelming performance in Summer League can attest to this. With that in mind, the prime benefactors of Kobe’s move to small forward will be Jordangelo Russellson… I’m working on it.
If Kobe were to play the two, he’d be robbing these two young guards of invaluable on court experience. Though the pairing showed glimpses of what they could become in Las Vegas with impressive outlet passes, and even more so, with mistimed alley oops, the partners in crime will only get better with time.
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GM Mitch Kupchak recently revealed that he envisions the duo headlining the Lakers’ backcourt for the next 10 to 12 years, so it is of supreme importance that the Lakers give them as much time to grow together as possible.
Look at the progress the Bounce Brothers, Zach Lavine and Andrew Wiggins, have made in only a year on the Timberpups. The same development should be expected of the Lakers’ young guards.
Recently, dual point guard teams have successfully permeated the league and the Russ-Clark tandem have the potential to do the same… better?
2. “Fills” the Lakers’ Glaring Hole at Small Forward
It’s no secret that since the departure of Trevor Ariza in 2009, the Lakers have lacked a true 3 and D player that nearly every elite team possesses. While Kobe doesn’t necessarily fit the 3D mold, over the years his post game has developed significantly making the transition from shooting guard to small forward that much easier.
Though size may have been a problem in years past, the way the league is moving to smaller and smaller line ups, Kobe will fit right in. Last season, one of the many struggles the Lakers faced was getting any sort of consistency from their small forwards — a healthy Kobe solves this problem immediately.
If the starting lineup indeed ends up being Russell-Clarkson-Bryant-Randle-Hibbert, Kobe represents an upgrade in nearly every category compared to last seasons’ options.
3. Creates for Better Spacing
While dominant as a shooting guard throughout his career, 20 year veteran Kobe doesn’t stretch the floor nearly as well as he used to. Placing Jordan Clarkson, an improved shooter, and D’Angelo Russell, 41% from 3 at Ohio State, in the back court provides for much better spacing on the offensive end of the floor.
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As mentioned previously, Kobe’s scoring ability from the post is tremendous, but he is also an underrated passer from the post. Playing him at small forward allows the Lakers to play inside-out, something the Lakers have missed since Pau left for Chicago.
On the defensive end, shifting Kobe to 3 is ideal for various reasons, the first being that for years Kobe has lacked the speed to keep up with younger shooting guards. The Mamba has always been one of the bigger 2 guards in the league, so defending opposing small forwards should not be an issue, it actually should benefit the defense.
From a fan’s point of view, the shift is well warranted as it means that Kobe will be forced to guard the players we desperately want to see him guard. After years of waiting, we finally get to witness the Kevin Durant/Lebron James battles that parallel the old Jordan-Kobe match ups.
In what may be the Mamba’s final NBA season, these passing of the torch moments will be remembered and cherished by fans and Kobe alike for years to come.
Let us know what you think about Kobe’s position change in the comments below.