2. The “LeBron, AD and D” lineup
- Talen Horton-Tucker, Stanley Johnson, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard
This is the antithesis of the first lineup that we suggested. The first lineup focuses on scoring and completely ignores the defensive side of the basketball. This lineup focuses on the defensive end while foregoing three-point shooting and scoring outside of LeBron and Anthony Davis.
Stanley Johnson is the best shooter outside of the stars in this lineup and that is fine. This is not a lineup that is used to come back from a deficit or extend a big lead. This is a lineup that you put in when you are up 10 points with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Sure, the scoring is not great, but this is the best defensive lineup that the Lakers can probably put together and it is a bit of a blast from the past. The 2020 Lakers won the NBA Championship without being a heavy three-point shooting team and this goes back to those roots.
Focus on defense and let LeBron and AD do all the heavy lifting on offense. The two are absolutely talented enough to defend a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter as long as they have positive defense players around them, which they would in this lineup.
There have been versions of five-man lineups that have come really close to this version but the Lakers haven’t actually utilized in a game. This is in large part due to Johnson’s late arrival on the team, Davis’s injury and the need to play Russell Westbrook so he doesn’t hurt his back (sarcasm intended).
Speaking of Westbrook, you may have noticed that he is not in either of these lineups. That is on purpose. LeBron and AD are better without him. However, we do have to throw a Westbrook lineup out there.