Los Angeles Lakers: New Lineup, Same Result
Prior to the Los Angeles Lakers’ game versus the New Orleans Pelicans, head coach Byron Scott made the decision to shuffle the starting lineup.
The move was not a shocker, what with the team being a miserable 5-15, but it was interesting nonetheless. Forward Ed Davis would take Carlos Boozer‘s slot as the starting power forward, while Ronnie Price took over the point guard position for Jeremy Lin. This was clearly a decision based around defense prior to taking on the NBA’s biggest terror currently, Anthony Davis, as well as a response to the horrendous start to the season defensively for Los Angeles.
However, the results proved to be more of the same.
The Lakers lost to the Pelicans, 104-87, and while their points allowed were down from their league-worst average (111.2 per game), New Orleans still shot 51.8 percent from the floor. It was not just the phenomenal Anthony Davis either, as Tyreke Evans was the only starter for the Pelicans to not shoot 50 percent or better in the game.
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The defensive portion can be improved upon as the team moves forward, should Byron Scott choose to make the change permanent. This is probably the best defensive lineup the Lakers can trot out, and it’s conceivable to think that they would get better as they played together with more consistency.
A problem with that notion, however, is that the Lakers were awful offensively against a Pelicans squad that was ranked 20th in points allowed coming into the game. Obviously, the moving pieces and new roles can cause problems with cohesion on the offensive end, but there’s not a ton of hope for this lineup playing 30+ minutes a game.
Ronnie Price, Wes Johnson, Ed Davis, and Jordan Hill accompanied the NBA’s leading scorer, Kobe Bryant, in the starting lineup. Of those four, Jordan Hill is the most accomplished offensively, and he is only averaging 13.7 points per game despite being the starter since the opening tip of the season.
A starting lineup composed of those players would put an immense offensive burden on an already overworked Kobe Bryant. Bryant’s efficiency has been horrific in his return from injury, and a starting lineup featuring four other players with a combined career average 25.6 points per game (Bryant averages 25.5 himself over his career) is likely not going to aid his return to form.
Ultimately, Scott took a more balanced approach with his minutes, with only Bryant and Ed Davis grabbing 30 minutes or more, but that likely will not be an effective strategy going forward either.
Byron Scott should be commended for trying to mix thing up, and after all that’s really the only tool he has at this point to try to make some improvements to the terrible performance his team has put forth thus far.
The truth is that, in the end, these moves should be seen as more of a message than a permanent change to the way the rotations will look every night. It’s possible that perhaps Ed Davis snatches a few more minutes, or that Ronnie Price becomes a defensive guard used to slow down opposing points, but it’s most likely this change was to light a fire under Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin.
If the Los Angeles Lakers want to show improvement, it will be up to Boozer and Lin to improve defensively, otherwise it will continue to be more of the same, regardless of who is playing.