LeBron James recently commented on the most recent Los Angeles Lakers starting lineup and how it set the tone.
In the win over the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers might have deployed their starting lineup that we will see to start the season. The Lakers were able to set the tone in that game against the Warriors and they never looked back.
With Rajon Rondo out of the lineup, the Lakers used Avery Bradley, Danny Green, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and JaVale McGee got the nod.
This is the lineup that many thought we would see to start games and they looked great together. With this starting five, the Lakers jumped out to an early lead against the Warriors, and a lot of that came on the defensive end.
After the game, James talked about this starting five and how well they did defensively to start the game. Here’s what he said via Anthony Irwin of Silver Screen and Roll.
"“Defensively is where we set our mark, and then everything else kind of falls into place. We have a great defensive lineup to start the game. We have guys that complement each other on the offensive end. It’s my job to put guys in a position to push the pace and get guys open looks. Get AD the ball where he wants it, and then find my shooters like AB and DG. It worked well for us tonight,”"
While a lot of the attention was on the offense in the win, it was the defense that set the tone according to LeBron. With players like James and Davis, the Lakers should have no issues on the offensive end. However, defense is key for this team if they want to win.
One of the key areas that the Lakers wanted to improve on this offseason was on the defensive end. In the starting lineup, the additions of Davis, Bradley and Green should really help them in that area.
Giving Frank Vogel players that can play defense at a high level will only result in success on that end of the court. Considering how well that starting five looked on both ends of the court against the Warriors, it’s seems likely that we will be seeing the same on against the Los Angeles Clippers.
With James coming out in support of this lineup, it certainly sends a message to Vogel. Furthermore, we will have to wait and see what the coach decides for Opening Night.