2.) The point guard rotation, while good, isn’t perfect
These can’t all be positive predictions and while there were a lot of good things to take away from preseason, the one glaring hole for the team was their guard rotation. Obviously most of the offense is going to run through LeBron James, as he’ll be playing the pseudo point guard role, but having solid guard depth behind him is also important.
Danny Green is as advertised, and even though he’s an elite 3&D wing, he won’t give you any playmaking, as is the case with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, minus the elite part. Rajon Rondo has been, shall we say, questionable on both ends of the floor in his limited minutes during the preseason and can’t be relied on as a back-up point guard, let alone a starter.
Quinn Cook and Alex Caruso stand as the only other potential ‘true’ point guards on this roster, and both have question marks regarding their ability to actually assume that role.
Cook’s job on the Warriors was to be a secondary ball-handler and spot-up shooter, and he excels at both, but that was on a team with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green all assuming primary playmaking duties. For the Lakers, Cook will be asked to do a little more, and as of right now, it’s unclear whether or not he’s up to the task.
Caruso also showed flashes of being a solid rotation player and point guard, but that was also coupled with moments where he looked like he didn’t belong at all. Memes aside, Caruso still has a ways to go in his development if he can be counted on to fill the back-up point guard position.