During their game against the New York Knicks, the Lakers sent out a brand-new starting lineup—one that many fans actually approved of. They had Dennis Schroder at point guard, Troy Brown Jr. at shooting guard, Rui Hachimura at small forward, LeBron at power forward, and Anthony Davis at center. It worked out pretty well for them; they got off to a very good start and even turned back to the same lineup during crucial minutes in the fourth quarter. However, it unfortunately might not be permanent.
They likely went to this lineup due to Patrick Beverley being out, but with him not expected to miss any more time, they will now have to figure out what to do with their starting lineup moving forward. They really have three options here. They can either go back to the same lineup they had before Patrick Beverley was hurt, keep the same one they used against New York, or create an entirely new one based on what they've learned so far.
In today's video, we'll talk about their options for their starting lineup from here on out. Before we do that, though, if you have been enjoying my Lakers content but would like to hear me talk about the entire NBA, then be sure to check out my second channel, JSM Plus. I try to talk about the entire NBA over there and have been focusing on the trade deadline lately. If that sounds like the type of content you might enjoy, head over there and check it out.
Now, getting back to today's topic. While we talked about their closing lineup in a video last week, now it's time to talk about their potential starting lineup. We'll begin by reviewing the one they used against the Knicks. I briefly talked about it during my video last night, but there's much more to talk about if they plan to use it again moving forward.
By far, the biggest lineup they've tried out so far, and I think that is what many fans liked about it. Although that's certainly intriguing, it's more about what these specific players offer them. Three of their biggest problems so far would have to be defensive rebounding, limiting points in the paint, and not being able to match up with bigger wing players.
Purely looking at this lineup from that standpoint, it does a very good job at addressing those problems. They have their two biggest wing defenders in Troy Brown and Hachimura, and then three of their better rebounders. Still, Anthony Davis has gotten great rebounding production, but not even he can do it alone. While LeBron helps out here and there, he tends to leak out for fast break opportunities and hasn't been doing a very good job at boxing out, often leaving Anthony Davis on his own.
Now include Troy Brown and Rui Hachimura with him, who are fairly good rebounders for their positions, and that can make a world of difference both on the offensive and defensive glass. If we take a look at the rebounding from last night, those three were able to grab 23 combined rebounds, seven of which were of the offensive rebound variety.
Then, in regard to matching up with a bigger wing player, they were able to hold Julius Randle in check. He shot only 31% from the field and then only 22% from three, which was by far the worst shooting night he's had in quite a while. On the other hand, though, this lineup was not able to contain Jalen Brunson. He dropped a game-high 37 points on their head, and that can be a drawback when playing a bit bigger.
Another potential problem could be three-point shooting. They may have great corner three-point shooting with this lineup, but everywhere else could be an issue. They don't even have one player shooting above 35% from three in this lineup. Troy Brown Jr. is pretty close, but if he is the best three-point shooter in your lineup, then it could be a problem more often than not.
I think they could probably make it work, but it does leave the door open for other options. Another one could be swapping out Troy Brown for either Lonnie Walker or Austin Reeves when he eventually comes back. They are both shooting significantly better compared to Troy Brown Jr., especially in catch-and-shoot situations. Lonnie Walker is shooting 39%, and Reeves is shooting over 37%.
If they are looking for more offensive production overall, then the better option here would be Lonnie Walker, particularly if they are looking for the highest volume three-point shooter. If they are trying to keep their lineup a bit more balanced while at the same time improving their three-point shooting, then the better option would be Austin Reeves, who not only can space the floor but can also be a plus defender.
The problem here is that he is not quite ready to return, and while it won't be much longer until he is, we won't be able to see a lineup combination like this one until then. With that in mind, I would not be against them trying out Lonnie Walker. He is still working his way back and trying to find his rhythm, but he does appear to play better when in their starting lineup. Again, I'm not against Troy Brown remaining in there, but it might be something for them to consider moving forward, especially if they're having a hard time knocking down three-point shots.
With us knowing that Patrick Beverley is coming back, that likely means he'll be returning to their starting lineup. That would involve removing either Troy Brown, Rui Hachimura, or Dennis Schroder. I think the most likely candidate here would be Troy Brown, but what if they moved Schroder off the bench? That could be a way to keep their lineup bigger while maintaining their defense at the point guard position.
I kind of doubt that Darvin Ham does it, but it might not be a bad idea. Moving either Schroder or even Patrick Beverley off the bench could benefit their starting lineup. They would improve their rebounding, their ability to defend bigger wing players, and would then have room for a better catch-and-shoot player within their starting lineup.
With Schroder being a former Sixth Man of the Year candidate, he has shown the ability to thrive while coming off the bench, which he could do with Westbrook either on or off their team following the trade deadline. Again, I kind of doubt they go this route, but it definitely would be a viable option, as I don't see the benefit of continuing to employ a starting backcourt of Schroder and Beverley.
But if that is what they end up doing, which is probably likely given Darvin Ham's preference for them, then they cannot afford to remove Rui Hachimura. He is now beginning to build chemistry with LeBron and Anthony Davis, and they looked great together against New York, both on offense and defense too. He is another option on offense for them and a really unique one at that.
If the opposing team is switching everything on defense, specifically to avoid a mismatch on LeBron or Davis, that will often leave Hachimura being defended by a smaller player. We have seen that multiple times already. They have yet to fully take advantage of it, but they began noticing it a bit more. Not only that, though, Hachimura has proven to be a great fit with them in the open court. LeBron has found him running the floor a number of times already, and they seem to be building good chemistry there too.
Another bigger player running the floor could make them nearly unstoppable on transition. It's already hard enough to stop LeBron, but then with AD and Hachimura, that is a deadly combination. And then for defense, Hachimura is already helping them there as well. We watched him help out as a team defender and then as an individual defender for a guy like Julius Randle as well.
While he is by no means perfect on defense, he can definitely help them out, and I think he's shown enough on both ends of the court to remain in their starting lineup.
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