Would Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. be able to co-exist in the same lineup for the Lakers?
With another double-digit loss on Monday night, this one to the Charlotte Hornets, the Los Angeles Lakers’ record has sunk to a shocking 5-27. Though they improved to 6-27 with a win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, the year 2015 cannot end soon enough for this team, which cannot seem to gain any traction and actually appears to be getting worse on both ends of the court.
There are still 49 games to play this season, which is a lot of basketball. The Lakers’ brain trust has to figure something out because, to this point, the year has been one gigantic failure. Byron Scott has hinted that he may tweak the rotation again in January. For one thing, bringing D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle off the bench has not worked and has been counterproductive to the development of both players.
It is time to get serious with Randle and Russell because the future of the franchise depends on them becoming All-Star caliber players. They have been maddeningly inconsistent this year, looking great one moment and terrible the next. Coming off the bench has worsened the situation, since they are forced to play with different teammates from one minute to the next, shuttling in and out of the game. Plus, many times the Lakers are already losing by double-digits by the time Russell and Randle take the court, forcing them to play catch-up.
Russell and Randle need to play before the game gets out of hand, meaning they need to start and play 30-plus minutes every game. The starters get to play with the same teammates around them each night, which results in greater familiarity, rhythm, and consistency.
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The most intriguing question, however, is what should the team do with Larry Nance Jr. when Randle returns to the starting lineup? The fact is, Nance has been the most consistent Lakers player all season. He defends and rebounds, he brings energy, and he does all of the little things that aren’t reflected in the final stats, but are instrumental in giving the team a better chance to win.
Another factor is that Nance is the one guy on the roster who has shown marked improvement, particularly on offense. Against Charlotte he was 6-7 from the floor. The game before he scored an efficient, season-high 17 points. In both games, he hit a number of mid-range jumpers. If this kind of shooting continues over the next couple of games, how can Scott possibly remove him from the starting lineup?
Of course, Scott demoted Russell earlier this year right after he started playing better. Scott regularly makes such odd rotation decisions that anything is possible. Still, Nance is the one guy on the entire roster who has earned the right to retain his position as a starter. So the question remains, what will happen to him this weekend when 2016 arrives?
The obvious issue is whether Randle and Nance can play together as starters. The knee-jerk reaction is no, since both are power forwards. But sometimes it pays to think outside the box, and this could be one of those times.
It has always been recognized that Randle is a bit undersized to play power forward. On the other hand he is athletic, quick, and a good ball handler. Nance, likewise, is not a conventional four. He is a leaper and a high energy guy, more than a power player.
It would not work with one of them playing center, as neither is a good enough rim protector to play that position. But what if one of them moved to small forward? The big question is whether they could stay with the top players at the wing position like Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler? The answer is unclear, but it might just work and the team won’t know unless it tries.
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Of course, Randle and Nance would probably do a better job defending Leonard and Butler than would the Lakers current small forwards, Kobe Bryant and Nick Young. The problem is, if Randle and Nance fill the two forward spots, what would become of Bryant? He could move to shooting guard, but that would put Russell or Jordan Clarkson on the bench.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they are enslaved by Bryant’s year-long farewell tour. This means that what is in the best interest of the team takes a backseat to what is good for Bryant. The offense and defense are built around Bryant’s strengths and weaknesses at age 37, which does not mesh with what is best for the younger players. Bryant should be coming off the bench, but it will not happen, which means this is nothing but a wasted year.
If Scott were bold and innovative, he would start Clarkson, Russell, Randle, Nance, and Tarik Black. Imagine the speed with which that lineup could play, instead of the ponderous and dull failed approach that is better suited to Bryant and slow-footed Roy Hibbert.
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The Lakers will probably decide by next week whether Randle and Nance can play together. If the conservative Scott is unwilling to try, one of these two young men will have to take a backseat and his development will be severely stunted thus hurting the team.
But at least we’ll get to see Bryant being honored at every whistle stop and having a good time smiling and joking with the media and opposing players for the next 49 games.