Who will the Los Angeles Lakers start at point guard in their backcourt this upcoming season?
The Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff probably has a good idea of who will start at the 2 through the 5. Candidates like LeBron James and Anthony Davis are obviously locked in to start at their respective positions. But who will be the starting point guard?
When the 2018-19 season began, the Lakers had Lonzo Ball on the roster. Now that he has been traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in order to acquire Anthony Davis, nobody is quite sure who will start at point guard. We will look into some pros and cons for each possibility.
Rajon Rondo is one of two point guards remaining on the Lakers’ roster from last season. He played backup to Lonzo Ball for most of that season. Many, many people don’t like the idea of Rondo starting, or even playing at all.
They point to his poor defense, lack of gravity, and tendency to “assist hunt” as reasons they would prefer another point guard running the offense. He has certainly lost a step since his Boston Celtics days, but he still brings good qualities to the table.
Rondo has the most experience of the choices here. He has played in many high stakes moments. He has a championship under his belt. He’s also known as a leader in the locker room.
Last season he was reported to always be going over game tape, taking the younger players under his wing, and being a positive voice in the locker room. He also has the respect of guys like LeBron James and Davis and is an elite playmaker. He won’t be scared to confront guys if they aren’t getting back in transition. He even hit 3-pointers at a pretty decent clip last season for the purple & gold.
In 2018-19 for the Lakers, Rondo averaged:
9.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8 assists in 29.8 minutes
.405% on field goals, .359% from 3
Alex Caruso is the other point guard returning from last season. He spent the last two seasons bouncing from the G League to the NBA and started getting a lot of minutes toward the end of last season. Caruso has become a fan favorite, with a cult-like following, since he began displaying solid defense and good statistics.
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Caruso has shown he belongs in the league at this point, and many are hoping he will be the Lakers’ starting point guard after earning his first non-two-way contract. His defense is one of the main reasons he would be a good fit.
With length and good energy, this guy fought for his place, chasing opposing point guards all over the place, and getting all up in their space. He also hit his 3-pointers at a really good clip, although it was a pretty small sample size. It would not be surprising at all to see his 3-point percentage drop a bit when given more minutes.
In 2018-19 for the Lakers, Caruso averaged:
5.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists in 17.6 minutes
.439% on field goals, .398% from 3
Quinn Cook is a player the Lakers signed in free agency. He spent last season with the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors. He played a fairly limited role for them but is known as lethal from beyond the arc.
He isn’t the tallest guy, which could lead to him being somewhat of a defensive liability. With LeBron James covering most of the ball-handling duties, the Lakers need someone who can defend opposing guards, and create gravity to open up driving lanes. Cook definitely has the shooting skills to draw that gravity.
In 2018-19 for the Warriors, Cook averaged:
6.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists in 14.3 minutes
.465% on field goals, .405% from 3
The last potential starting point guard for the team is Avery Bradley. Bradley played for the Memphis Grizzlies last season and was signed by the Lakers as a free agent. Although he has regressed a bit the past few years, if he can get back the way he played in his Boston Celtics days, he could be the best fit here.
Bradley’s defense might be the best out of the bunch, and considering LeBron will be the “de-facto point guard”, being able to defend opposing teams’ point guards is a priority. Besides Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley has the most experience of the candidates. He is also the only one who averaged more minutes than Rondo did last season.
In 2018-19 for the Grizzlies, Bradley averaged:
12 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4 assists in 31.6 minutes
.463% on field goals, .384% from 3
Although Rajon Rondo averaged the second-most minutes out of the four choices, his basic stats do jump out compared to the others. It is well known that Rondo excels at getting assists, and his average of eight per game last season shows it. In March of 2019, he dished out 17 assists in a game against the Charlotte Hornets.
It is not, however, talked about how many rebounds he gets. For a short guard, Rondo does a great job rebounding the ball.
Rondo also has the respect of the best players on the team and is respected around the league. He has already played a season for the Lakers, alongside LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and JaVale McGee. He has also spent a season playing alongside Anthony Davis in New Orleans, where they developed chemistry.
Alex Caruso and Quinn Cook should be the backup point guards. They can both excel in that role. A case can be made for Avery Bradley to start since he’s the better defender, but he may not regain the form that made him so successful with the Celtics.
Rajon Rondo’s on-ball defense may not be the best, but he averaged 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals last season. He shot a respectable 36% from beyond the arc. He has experience, a great locker room presence, leadership qualities, and the respect of even the best players in the world. He averaged eight assists per game, and had 17 assists in one game for the Lakers.
In addition, we haven’t even seen “playoff Rondo” suit up for the purple & gold yet, and yes, playoff Rondo is a real thing. With his existing chemistry with not only the Lakers returning from last season, but also with Anthony Davis, I think coach Frank Vogel will decide on Rondo as the starting point guard on opening night.
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but don’t forget, Rondo hit the game-winning shot against the Celtics last season! What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments below. Let’s get this season started!