The Los Angeles Lakers’ three point guard lineup that is working
The Los Angeles Lakers are marching through the playoffs with an unexpected point guard combination that is giving big results.
Rajon Rondo has battled injuries through most of the regular season and the first round of playoffs. This is why having a point guard like Alex Caruso on the roster has been useful and beneficial for the Los Angeles Lakers. Although his numbers have not been eye-popping, his contribution is immeasurable.
Despite an unreliable three-point shot, expected to be a major part of his game this year, his defense has been outstanding and crucial for LA.
In the first round of the playoffs, with Rondo recovering from thumb surgery and struggling with back spasms, Caruso played big minutes and a fundamental role, slowing down Portland Trail Blazers’ guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. He is definitely the best defender on the roster, and coach Frank Vogel has stressed all season long his importance for the team on that side of the floor.
The intangibles he brings, the chemistry with his teammates and the hard nose defense earned him an important spot in the rotations.
When Rondo returned to the active roster in the playoffs, many worried that he would eat Caruso’s minutes, impacting negatively on the team.
As it turned out, that is not the case. Quite the opposite.
Not only he returned in Playoff Rondo mode and his performances elevated the Lakers, but his partnership with Caruso has been phenomenal. As a matter of fact, Alex’s minutes were not reduced since Rajon’s return. They increased, from 23.8 to 24.5. The two point guards have led arguably the best bench of the postseason, giving the team versatility and continuity when the starters are resting.
Not just that. The two point guards have become regulars of crunch time and clutch moments, ending up sharing the floor with LeBron James for long stretches.
Basically playing with three point guards at a time, this lineup has become one of the most used by Vogel and probably the most effective. The three players have been sharing the floor for 69 minutes, the second most used lineup in the playoffs for the Lakers.
It boasts the third-best point differential, trailing just the starting lineup and the one with Markieff Morris replacing JaVale McGee, which, by the way, has a far smaller sample size, deployed for less than 30 minutes.
They have the second-best effective field goal percentage differential, steals differential and are third in blocks differential (still behind the little-used ‘Morris-lineup’). Unsurprisingly, they lead the lineups in assists.
LeBron is 35 years old, Caruso struggles from three and many doubted Rondo when he came back from injuries. But together these three are giving the Lakers a huge boost in the playoffs, complementing Anthony Davis in an all-around, adaptable lineup, extremely effective both on offense and defense. This is the Lakers’ 2020 Death Lineup.
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There is definitely some truth when they say that today it is a guards game, a sport of versatility and D’Antoni’s small-ball has taken over the league.