Los Angeles Lakers lineup preview, Pt. 3: How small is too small?
Final thoughts
This lineup represents everything that is evolving in the NBA: spacing, defensive versatility, 3-point shooting, and playing as many ball-handlers as possible. All five of these Laker players can guard multiple positions, shoot the deep ball and make a play for themselves or a teammate. I’d expect this unit to be efficient offensively and exploit the mismatches presented with going small.
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The problem with playing so many guards and wings simultaneously is the size disadvantage teams give up on the boards. Some teams counter the small-ball lineups by sending out two bigs and pounding the boards. Ingram and Kuzma would be playing a position up and undersized. It’d take a full team rebounding effort to overcome this problem, but that takes away some ability to push the ball up floor.
Sending four players to the paint to rebound and having the furthest man leak out would be a smart way to solve this issue. Lonzo only needs one person to run the floor for him to push the ball up-court, so it wouldn’t be the worst thing to commit four men to the glass.
Overall, this may be the lineup I want to see Luke Walton deploy more than any other this season. I’ve lauded the fit offensively and the problems they’d cause opponents with their speed. The perimeter defense is even a strength for this unit.
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It would come down to how well the pair of Ingram and Kuzma can protect the interior. This will caution Walton from using this lineup until they show some glimpses of hope in altering shots and bodying up larger players. But it’s a great mix of young talent to experiment with as the calendar flips to March and April.