2. A great offensive Los Angeles Lakers lineup:
PG: Russell Westbrook
SG: Kendrick Nunn
SF: Malik Monk
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
I truly do have a hard time seeing how defenses would be able to stop this lineup.
However, I’m also having just as difficult of a time seeing how this lineup can stop opposing offenses.
The strength here is definitely offensive firepower and according to BBall Index, this lineup grades out better than the vast majority of others in terms of spacing (86.5%), attacking the rim (97%), finishing at the rim (99.7%) and playmaking (99.9%).
We know what we’re getting out of the three superstars but what about the two young guys in Monk and Nunn?
Well, starting with Monk, he’s coming off of by far the best season of his career and is still just 23 years old. He struggled with substance abuse issues off of the court but has seemingly gotten back on track and looks primed and ready to make a big impact on this Lakers team.
He’s uber-athletic and was deadly as a perimeter shooter last season and things should only get easier for him playing with James and Westbrook.
Per BBall Index, Monk shot 40.1% from deep all while dealing with a D- Shot Quality and a D Openness Rating. The Hornets are a super young team with a ton of budding talent but Monk was far in a way one of their better 3-point shooters, allowing defenses to really lock onto him from deep.
The sheer fact that he was able to even shoot over 40% from deep while dealing with those kinds of looks should give Lakers fans hope that those numbers can rise even higher, perhaps even to the 42%-43% range this season.
Another great thing about Monk is his movement off the ball. Last season, he was in the 99th percentile in terms of Movement Distance Rating and the 86th percentile when it comes to Movement Speed Rating.
This means that he’s extremely active without the ball in his hands, he gets to his spots and he gets there in a hurry which are all good things when you’re playing with two guys who can make any pass in the world.
When it comes to Nunn, he’s the much more balanced player which is why I believe he’ll truly be one of our biggest impact guys off the bench this year.
Just like everyone else the Lakers signed, Nunn is a great perimeter shooter, knocking down 42.1% of his catch & shoot opportunities. Where he struggles from deep is on his pull-ups, where he shot just 26.5%.
Not only can he shoot, but he excels in finishing at the basket as well. BBall Index ranked him in the 91st percentile when it comes to Adjusted FG% at the Rim despite grading in the 3rd percentile of shot quality at the rim. Nunn’s ability to penetrate defenses and get to the basket will hopefully create more open opportunities for the guys around him.
While both guys have their struggles on the defensive end, they’ve got room to grow and hopefully, in Vogel’s scheme, they’ll be able to maximize their potential.