Though shooting guard is the most puzzling position, power forward is just as crowded. Ellington and Horton-Tucker are capable of sliding up. Otherwise, the rest of the Lakers’ wings are either shooting guards (Ellington, Horton-Tucker, Monk) or power forwards (James, Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony). Bazemore is the primary backup, as he’s the only legitimate small forward on the roster. James will start games and will also slide up to power forward in smaller lineups. Similar to point guard, this position is simple. Regardless, he’s going to play more than he did last season and possibly grow into being the team’s sixth man. That can change if Horton-Tucker develops his 3-point shot. Given Horton-Tucker’s need to have the ball in his hands to be most effective and his poor 3-point shooting, the Lakers should refrain from many James-Westbrook-Horton-Tucker minutes. He has the potential to break out into a larger role if he shoots the ball as well as he did last season (40.1 percent on 3s, after never shooting better than 34.2 percent) and improves defensively in Vogel’s scheme. James-led teams historically favor veterans over younger players when it comes to position battles, and Ellington has an elite skill that the starters need. Defenses will sag off him.Įllington is penciled in as the favorite here because he’s the best shooter on the team and a 12-year veteran. At the same time, despite his career-best shooting year, he lacks the gravity of Wayne Ellington or Monk. Kent Bazemore probably threads the offense-defense needle best, as he’s a long-armed, pesky, multi-positional defender who shot 40.8 percent on 3s last season. Failing to do so will clog the offense and negate the offensive shift that the organization is prioritizing. On the other hand, the Lakers desperately need to surround James and Westbrook with shooters to maximize their driving lanes and playmaking. Even if he’s coaching on the final year of his deal, his core principles are unlikely to change. Head coach Frank Vogel tends to prefer defenders when given a choice between two players. On the one hand, the team’s defense has been such a large part of its identity over the past two seasons. The question then becomes: Will the Lakers prioritize shooting or defense around their three superstars? The Lakers currently don’t have that player on the roster, though. The ideal type of player to include with James, Davis and Westbrook would be a 3-and-D shooting guard, someone capable of shooting 38-plus percent on 3s and checking an opponent’s best one, two, or three - that this, the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Danny Green role. This position will, in part, determine the identity of the starting unit. Of the two, shooting guard is the more difficult to project. There are two openings in the starting lineup: shooting guard and center. Westbrook and Nunn should be able to share the floor together, as well, since Nunn is capable of playing off the ball - something he did in Miami - and spacing the floor as a 42.1 percent spot-up 3-point shooter. But expect Westbrook or Nunn - the Lakers’ most notable addition financially - to be on the floor in most lineups, at least to start the season. The two will share ballhandling duties with James (the true point guard in any lineup), Talen Horton-Tucker and Malik Monk. Russell Westbrook is the starter, with Kendrick Nunn backing him up. This is the most straightforward position on the roster.
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