Russell Westbrick Discussion: Clipper Gonna Clip

Man, you're the one that needs to get off your mantra. It's different this year. If he can't hack doing both sides of the ball what Ham wants and needs him to do, he's going to likely be asked to come off the bench such as in the 5th option below where he actually can be effective and be "Russ". You think he's suddenly going to be a shooting threat where opponents don't sag off of him? Not ever going to become a consistently good shooter where teams don't target his weakness especially in the playoffs. He needs to be off the floor as much as possible when LeBron is on it. His physical smirking reaction during Ham's press conference, when Darvin was asked about the possibility of using Russ off the bench, told everyone who saw it how cooperative and willing to do that he won't be if asked.


Five Lakers lineups we want to see next season

By Jovan Buha
Aug 23, 2022
67

With training camp fewer than five weeks away, one of the more interesting Lakers subplots is the various lineup combinations at head coach Darvin Ham’s fingertips.

We’ve already covered the projected starting and bench rotation, as well as some of the closing lineup options in recent weeks. But there are other interesting lineup configurations that Los Angeles will use next season.

This all can also change at a moment’s notice, depending on what happens with Russell Westbrook and the Lakers’ pursuit of roster upgrades. But until the roster changes, here are five lineups we would like to see this season, with an explanation of when and why they will be deployed.

1. The Closers
PG: Austin Reaves
SG: Troy Brown Jr.
SF: LeBron James
PF: Juan Toscano-Anderson
C: Anthony Davis

This is one of the projected closing lineups we previously covered but is worth exploring in further detail. It’s a group featuring multiple players with the ability to switch across at least three positions. (The frontcourt arguably could switch one through five — at least in doses.)

The swing factor will be the group’s collective shooting. Can Reaves, Brown and Toscano-Anderson make defenses pay enough for shading off them?

Between James and Reaves, the Lakers have ballhandling covered. Davis is going to be more of an offensive focal point next season, and Toscano-Anderson is an underrated passer (it’s probably his best offensive skill). Brown also displayed playmaking chops in Washington at the beginning of his career.

Westbrook is obviously an option, though his poor shooting and defensive effort are concerns during important possessions in close games. Kendrick Nunn, Lonnie Walker IV, Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson also are candidates to close games in place of Brown or Toscano-Anderson. (Reaves is penciled in as a starter and closer based on the chatter out of the organization.)

The Lakers also could opt to go bigger with Thomas Bryant or Damian Jones, but they’ve tended to close games with Davis at center, when opponents are also going smaller.

2. The best smaller lineup
PG: Kendrick Nunn
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Troy Brown Jr.
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis

When factoring in fit and two-way abilities, this might be the Lakers’ best lineup on paper next season. This has a chance to be another closing lineup — especially against smaller opponents.

Davis’ and James’ respective success at center and power forward is well-established. Brown and Reaves are the wings with the best balance of 3-point shooting and perimeter defense. They’ve also each displayed some ballhandling and playmaking chops (with Reaves projecting to play some point guard next season).

Nunn might be the best backcourt shooter on the roster, and though his size can be a limiting factor defensively, he isn’t a liability to the same level as Westbrook or Walker. He projects as a much cleaner fit with Davis and James as long as he plays within the flow of the offense.

Rebounding and rim protection are concerns if teams can force Davis away from the paint. Shooting is a concern with most lineups, but this one should be able to get by with Reaves, Brown and Nunn drilling spot-up 3s, swinging the ball and attacking closeouts.

3. LeBron with the bench
PG: Kendrick Nunn
SG: Lonnie Walker IV
SF: LeBron James
PF: Juan Toscano-Anderson
C: Damian Jones

This is the type of LeBron-centric bench lineup we’ve seen be effective during his Los Angeles tenure.

He has an athletic rim-runner who is a dynamic roller and finisher in Jones. He has a versatile frontcourt partner who can handle the most challenging forward matchups in Toscano-Anderson. And he has two microwave scorers who offer enough secondary ballhandling and playmaking juice in Walker and Nunn. Any defensive concerns are partially mitigated by this lineup only facing opposing second units.

The main concern here is shooting (a common theme with most lineups). LeBron-led bench lineups often have more shooting talent than the Lakers currently have. Perhaps sweet-shooting rookie Cole Swider could find his way into this lineup (though his defense, coupled with Walker’s, could be a disastrous combination). Regardless, the supporting cast will need to shoot better than last season.

4. LeBron at center
PG: Austin Reaves
SG: Troy Brown Jr.
SF: Stanley Johnson
PF: Juan Toscano-Anderson
C: LeBron James

Last season, because of injuries and the general ineffectiveness of their bigs and larger wings, the Lakers opted to use James at center. The results were mixed. They began encouraging before tailing off toward the end of the season. Overall, LeBron-at-center lineups were outscored by 1.1 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning The Glass.

One note was that lineups with Johnson at power forward (plus-1.8) performed better than lineups with Carmelo Anthony at power forward (plus-0.2), per Cleaning The Glass. James needs help defensively, of course, and this quartet is the Lakers’ four best non-James/Davis perimeter defenders (including Johnson).

The Lakers are better equipped to survive defensively with smaller lineups, but spacing and shooting, especially with Toscano-Anderson and Johnson, are potential concerns.

This is a wrinkle we should see next season, albeit in smaller doses likely.

5. Westbrook plus shooting
PG: Russell Westbrook
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Troy Brown Jr.
PF: Anthony Davis
C: Thomas Bryant

Assuming Westbrook is on next season’s roster — far from a certainty, obviously — this is the type of lineup in which he could thrive. It’s essentially the projected starters with Brown replacing James to allow Westbrook to be the primary ballhandler. This is a lineup the Lakers could use in the middle of the first and third quarters — when James typically rests.

Westbrook and Davis are surrounded by three shooters, creating the ideal environment for them to operate in the pick-and-roll and run various two-man actions. Reaves and Brown can handle the more difficult perimeter assignments, leaving Westbrook to roam and help. Davis’ defensive brilliance and Bryant’s size prop up the back-line defense.

The non-LeBron minutes have long been an issue for the Lakers, and this lineup has a chance to hold its own.


https://theathletic.com/3528814/2022/08/23/five-lakers-lineups-next-season/

If he's here, will he be invited to LeBron's San Diego camp? We'll see. Disaster to not have him there. And IF he's here I truly hope you are right, but I just don't see him being able to do what they're going to ask him to do and his lack of shooting gravity not again killing us in the "starting" lineup, or him being a plus defender for the closing lineup and not getting surly about it if he's not in that lineup at the end.

 

Meh..Buha spouts a bunch of hot air IMO. I don't know who is going to do what, until they actually start hooping. I do know that Ham wasn't just blowing smoke. He intends on starting Westbrook and the roster is already better than that junk we had last season. I can see Lebron wanting Kyrie, me too, but others than that, things have followed what James said that he thought the team needed. A few " minor" roster tweaks and some good health. Frankly, I'd just sign Schroder back and go into camp with what we have. Everybody is under the gun this season IMO..I expect a pretty intense, lively training camp.

 

A lot of hope on Troy Brown. As of now I'm not so high on him but I'm curious to see.
I think Stan will have a bigger role than projected, he can be a poor man's Anunoby.
I also think Jones is the starter.

 

The lack of shooting is more glaring when I look at those line ups.

 

These young guys we had last season shouldn't take anything for granted either. Reaves, Johnson, Gabriel..They got an opportunity to play last season because that bunch sucked. They have more competition for playing time this season. Add Nunn and THT to that mix. I think some of these new kids would have played last season too.

Outside of James and Davis...Nobody should feel comfortable about anything IMO.

 

sigh, every time I come to LB and still see this thread in Lakers discussion I become depressed.

 

But Lebron and AD might rediscover how to show up for work as a duo. If that happened..nobody will be yapping about Westbrook.

 

Lol. Same

 

True. But we definitely more actual players. We even have the luxury of having at least 2 not contributing and it still wouldn't hurt us that much

Guards we have 5
Russ, Nunn, Lonnie, THT and Reaves

Russ is a non-topic. Reaves is a lock. So 1 of Lonnie, THT and Nunn may not even play and it's ok

Forward we have 5
LeBron, AD, Stan, JTA and Troy

We can also have 1 of Stan, JTA and Troy not playing and it's ok. We can even have 2 not playing because some of the guards can play 3

Centers we have 3
Jones, Bryant and Gabriel.

Only 2 will share the around 30min on this slot. So whoever fits better gets the lead while having competition all year.


All in all, our roster is much more competitive and there no bums. Also everyone in the roster not named LeBron/AD will be playing for a contract and has a golden opportunity in a huge stage, surrounded by 2 of the best in the game and plenty of opportunities to make a name for themselves

 

I like this too. Hiring Ham really changed my out look for the season. If we can't unload Russ he will either get something out of him or sit him down. I don't believe Darvin will let Russ mess up the opportunity he has been waiting so long for.

 

I concur except on one part.. I don't consider Austin a lock either..he has to earn it just like everyone else. The entire team should be motivated and hungry, starting at the top, including the coaching staff, let the chips fall where they may. I think Russ is going to bounce back but nobody gets a pass this season. AD has a lot to prove too IMO.

Can you make it through an entire season my guy? It's about damn time to prove it!!!

 

Because frankly if your two best players are doing what they are supposed to be doing, your 3rd best player wouldn't be in the position of trying to compensate, for your two best players playing in 21 games together. The horses come before the cart. Hell he wasn't doing all that in Houston or Washington, it's not somehow written in stone that he'll have a repeat of last season. Russell Westbrook wasn't the blame for that crap feast last season.

 

Exactly! Plus as I've mentioned Handy has undoubtedly already gone into great detail with Darvin how hard it was last year with his attitude doing things asked of him and in the film sessions when things were pointed out to him. (for the always present and looming Russ apologist here .... who will undoubtedly forget and come in .... I am speaking of the reports from day one when Russ chaffed at the very idea and wasn't down with the coaching staff wanting whoever rebounded the ball to push it up court, rather than give it to him, and playing the martyr that he was being singled out in those film sessions. Yeah when you are paid that kind of money and brain fart your defensive assignments on and off the ball .... they're going call you on it)