The Lakers finally got what they hoped for. A star studded roster, that will be contending in the playoffs. And not only that, but the latest reports are that the team is considering trying out this starting lineup with non other than Lebron as the point guard. While this extremely big lineup will be something new and interesting to see, James at the playmaker position- is that really big news? Let me explain. What up everybody my name is Stefan and this is Heat Check. Let’s get into it.
You’ve all seen this. Look at how the entire defense is focused on Lebron which allows a tremendous amount of freedom for everyone else playing with him, and in this situation Hart cuts to the basket and gets an easy layup.
This is even more obvious. 3 guys are watching him do nothing in the corner and Mcgee is completely free to walks his way into an alley oop.
We saw this especially being pronounced on the Cavs when James was surrounded by shooters so he would penetrate and kick it out to the open guy for a wide open three point attempt
Needless to say, he is the most dangerous with the ball in his hand and can make extraordinary passes. After all the guy is number 10 on the all time assist list which is absolutely incredible when you think about it.
Last year he managed to end the season with 8 and a half assists per game, despite having a lot of his penetrate and kicks ending with a miss.
Look at all these wasted opportunities of open shots created by James.
The Lakers as a team were second to last in 3 point percentage without a single consistent shooter on the team.
Well they clearly addressed that by getting Danny Green one of the best shooters in the league at 45 and a half percent from downtown, and Quin Cook at 40.5.
Those kick outs are going to be deadly.
Not to mention how a pick and roll between him and Anthony Davis would look like.
You can see how unstoppable this is with Mcgee as the screener, so I can only imagine what a threat this would be with the brow setting the pick. Opponents will be at their mercy and will need to pick their poison.
Now, for Lebron to be so involved in every possession can be fatiguing for him.
That’s why having Davis and Cousins on the team is so great because he would just throw it inside to one of them and let them work. AD can face up defenders and either raise up for a midrange shot, or go straight to the basket. While Boogie can be posted up inside get the ball and battle under the rim.
Either way, this works great for James who can kind of take a few possessions off, which we all know he likes to do from time to time to preserve energy.
This is a luxury that the Lakers did not have last season since most of the guys on the team had to be spoonfed by Lebron in order for the to score.
Interestingly enough, one of the guys who could get his own points stayed on the team and survived the Anthony Davis trade. That is of course Kyle Kuzma.
So when we add a young guy like him in the mix who was almost a 19 point per game scorer last season, even tho his numbers might take a hit from playing on this super team, the Lakers overall will look frightening offensively.
The problem however is on the other end of the court as it’s hard for me to imagine James spending so much energy chasing opposing point guards. And since neither Kuzma nor Danny Green are suitable defenders at that position, it makes this lineup unlikely for us to see.
Lebron could be the playmaker, but he needs a guy like Rondo or Bradley for the defensive assignments.
So it remains to be seen which Lakers starting 5 are we going to see on the court in October.
Whatever the case may be, unlike last year when I had them missing the playoffs before the season, now it’s a whole different story, the Lakers are a championship contender, and the entire Western conference finals might be played in 1 arena. The staples center.
That’s it for now, if you liked this video, subscribe and hit the notification bell so that you don’t miss my future in depth analysis. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
0 Comments