Los Angeles Lakers: Evaluating the team’s 5 big-men lineups

Fewer Minutes for Death Lineups?

Still, if like last season, the Lakers are at their best with Davis playing center (alongside LeBron) — which is quite possible — is it concerning that he has seen so few minutes at the five thus far? And even if he sees more once the playoffs come around, is it concerning that the number might be significantly lower than last season?

These are difficult questions to answer, especially this early on. The short answer is likely that Los Angeles can compete for a championship even with the death lineups seeing a reduced utilization. Whether (and if so, how much) this hurts their title chance remains to be seen. Regardless, it will be fascinating to monitor these lineup trends as they change and develop.

Through the first seven games, Davis has played 16 minutes at center. He’s played more than one minute at the five in only 3-of-7 games, but this has occurred in each of the last three contests — suggesting this could be featured more going forward.

December 30th: 121-107 W vs. San Antonio Spurs:

Frank Vogel deployed his first multi-minute death lineup stint with 4:29 remaining in the 4th quarter and the Lakers up 108-99: Davis, James, Morris, Caldwell-Pope and Dennis Schroder. This group played until 1:02 remaining, having stretched the lead to 116-105.

January 1st: 109-103 W vs. San Antonio Spurs

The next stint came in the following game against the Spurs with 4:34 remaining in the 4th quarter and the score tied 97-97: Davis, James, Schroder, Kuzma and Wesley Matthews. This unit played the remainder of the game, helping the Lakers close out a 109-103 victory.

January 3rd: 108-94 W vs. Memphis Grizzlies

The most recent lineup came with 2:03 left in the 2nd quarter and Los Angeles leading 51-49: Davis, James, Matthews, Schroder and Kuzma. This lineup played the remainder of the half and entered the locker room with a 56-54 lead. The outcome was in question when LeBron entered the game at the 3:41 mark of the 4th quarter (Lakers led only 96-90). Rather than turning to a death lineup, however, Vogel stuck with Gasol (Davis, James, Gasol, Schroder, Kuzma). This group performed well, leading the Lakers to the 108-94 win.

Conclusion

While the death lineups might be utilized less this season, the last few games suggest Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is still willing to turn to them, particularly late in close games. Despite the small sample size, these games also suggest that unsurprisingly, these groups can be very effective.

Additionally, it will not only be worth monitoring how many minutes death lineups see but who the three players are alongside Davis and LeBron. Schroder was present in the lineups in each of the three games, with Kuzma and Matthews both in two respectively (Morris and Caldwell Pope in one). Caldwell-Pope in particular figures to be a part of these lineups going forward, and Alex Caruso will likely receive some time as well once he’s healthy.

(Credit to NBA.com and pbpstats.com for statistics)