Okay Rob Pelinka, I see you. Pelinka and his people up front went and yielded a completely revamped Los Angeles Lakers roster. At first sight, the new roster would appear to be much more well-constructed around LeBron and AD. Referring back to the 2019-2020 title season, the recipe for success around those two was always going to be shooting.
D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley are two of the top gunners from behind the line this season and have always been known for their abilities as marksmen. Mo Bamba has done well to establish himself as a genuine threat from behind the arc as well.
If Rui Hachimura can hit a steady dose of his open looks from beyond the arc, Austin Reaves + Lonnie Walker can maintain/improve on their current percentages, and the rest of the guys (D’Lo, Beasley, Schroder, Bamba) can shoot somewhere between 37-43% from 3, there will be nothing but space for LeBron and AD to operate in the paint.
Aside from more spacing for the stars to maneuver on offense, another element that the front office looked to build on was defense. Where D’Lo and Beasley are well known for their offensive skills, Mo Bamba and (in particular) Jarred Vanderbilt is much more known for their abilities on the less glamorous end.
Adding Bamba to a frontcourt rotation that already consists of AD gives LA two of the game’s best rim protectors to lurk on the inside. While Vanderbilt can offer minutes as a backup 5, he will undoubtedly spend a ton of time defending opponents’ primary scoring options due to his energy:
Jarred Vanderbilt disruptive defense on Steph Curry pic.twitter.com/5WGcuPb1As
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) January 28, 2022
With so much talent throughout the roster, there are not a ton of glaring holes. Now, it will be up to Darvin Ham and his staff to assemble the lineups appropriate throughout each contest to win games.
With 23 games lest on the schedule after the All-Star Break, each game matters more and more. Ham’s days of curious small-ball experimentation should be in the rearview, as those have simply not produced positivity. With a now well-rounded group, it is vital that the coaching staff implements a balanced rotation going forward.
The ideal Lakers rotation after the All-Star Break:
- Starters
- Dennis Schroder | 23 MPG
- D’Angelo Russell | 29 MPG
- LeBron James | 32 MPG
- Jarred Vanderbilt | 25 MPG
- Anthony Davis | 32 MPG
- Bench
- Austin Reaves | 24 MPG
- Lonnie Walker IV | 15 MPG
- Malik Beasley | 21 MPG
- Rui Hachimura | 23 MPG
- Mo Bamba | 16 MPG
- Extended bench:
- Troy Brown Jr
- Max Christie
- Wenyen Gabriel
- Davon Reed
LeBron and AD are automatically penciled into the starting frontcourt. D’Lo, former All-Star and presumed third option, should certainly slot into the starting backcourt. From here, there are a bevy of ways the coaches could go.
There are seven other guys that could make a strong case for a starting spot. Whatever the case may be, it will be important to pair D’Lo with a defensive-minded guy in the backcourt that is willing to defend an opponent’s top perimeter threat.
Dennis Schroder has been solid this season, and he has never backed down from a matchup on defense. Schroder and Russell have already complemented each other nicely.
While the Lakers could start Rui Hachimura or slide LeBron down to the 4 and start another wing, Jarred Vanderbilt should be the final member of the starting lineup. To start a game, you want to set the tone on the defensive end.
While the Lakers lost a key cog of their defense in Patrick Beverley, Vando (former teammate of Bev’s in Minnesota) should fill in seamlessly to the defensive energizer role. With that said, the 5 man opening lineup would look like Schroder-Russell-Vanderbilt-LeBron-AD. In this scenario, AD/LeBron can defend the two largest players.
Vanderbilt and Schroder can wreak havoc on the top outside threats night in and night out, and D’Lo can defend the opponent’s weakest offensive threat to conserve his energy for shooting the rock. On the offensive end, D’Lo and Schroder offer strong kick-out options for LeBron who can both catch and shoot, make a move to the rim, or pull up from mid-range.
Vanderbilt is the type of player that does not need plays drawn up for him, but should thrive in a screener/slipper role with the Lakers. The team should always look to get AD going early, so the offense should always flow through him early on in games to help him find his rhythm. He and Vando would also pose a nightmare for opposing big men to handle on the offensive glass.
Establishing AD and bringing defensive energy should be the primary focus to kick off games, and this starting 5 should help to achieve those aspirations.
With Russell Westbrook gone, look for Austin Reaves to settle into the 6th Man role. One could definitely argue that Reaves should be starting, but his poise and IQ should serve the team best running the second unit. Lonnie Walker IV and Malik Beasley are both microwave-type players that can take over a game out of nowhere on any given night.
While their scoring abilities may enhance their candidacies for starting duties, neither is known as a strong defender. With that in mind, the two can form an interesting wing combo for opposing benches to deal with. Sticking to the offensive trend, Rui Hachimura has been solid up to this point in his brief tenure with the Lakers. While his defense has not been terrible, he is simply not the defender that Vanderbilt is at this point in his career.
Regardless, Rui will be looked at as a secondary option to throw at some of the better, bigger wing threats across the league as the season progresses. Hachimura and Mo Bamba can combine to offer plenty of versatility on the offensive end as well. A majority of Bamba’s responsibility, however, will be to protect the rim and control the boards with AD.
This rotation should allow the team to establish a defensive identity right from the start of each game. The starters can come out right away and get after it on defense. On the offensive end, LeBron and AD should go to work right out of the gates.
After you come out and deliver the opening punches, you let the bench mob and D’Angelo loose. As each game goes on, the coaching staff should continue to find the right blend of guys doing the right things in each respective game. Whoever is hitting shots and/or locking up on defense should close the game with the stars.
NBA rumors: 3 most likely Russell Westbrook teams after Lakers trade
Russell Westbrook will likely be bought out after being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers. Here are the most likely suitors for the former MVP.
As long as the coaching staff does not revert back to the micro-lineups, the Lakers should be heading in the right direction.