With Avery Bradley coming off his minutes restriction soon, will the Los Angeles Lakers move him back into the starting lineup?
The Los Angeles Lakers have a very good problem in their starting lineup.
With Avery Bradley now back and healthy, the Lakers have to make a decision about what they want to do with him. Since returning, Bradley has been coming off the bench for Los Angeles. However, prior to the injury, he was performing well as a starter.
As a starter this season, Bradley is averaging 9.6 points and shooting just under 50 percent from the field. While Bradley has been pretty good on the offensive end of the court, the Lakers really like what he brings defensively.
Bradley is able to harass opposing guards the entire length of the court, and the Lakers are noticeably more active on the defensive end when he is on the court. So far this season, Bradley has certainly been good for the team.
However, due to the injury, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was inserted into the starting lineup, and he has also found his groove. Recently, Frank Vogel spoke about what he might do with the starting lineup. Here’s what he had to say about Bradley potentially moving back into the starting lineup with text via Silver Screen and Roll.
"“He does not have any restrictions and [putting him back into the starting lineup] is under consideration. That’s all I can really to tell you.”"
Since the Lakers have lost two straight games for the first time this season, Vogel could be making a switch to the starting lineup in the next couple of games. In the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Lakers clearly lacked a scoring punch off the bench with Kuzma still out.
Of the two players, KCP is a bit better at creating his own shot and scoring in the second unit. With a need for some scoring as of now, KCP moving back with the second unit could be an option.
Even though they have lost two straight on the road, the Lakers are still one of the best teams in the NBA. The decision about what to do with Bradley and KCP is certainly a good problem to have for Vogel and the coaching staff.