The Lakers have so many inside players and use James to play center at critical moments. Why?

Strictly speaking, the Lakers' inside line is "in name only." With the thick eyebrows not playing the fifth position, the Lakers' centers are only DeAndre Jordan and Howard. But fans who have watched Lakers games should know very well that neither of them is at their peak level. They have no shooting ability and slow movement speed. In many cases, Vogel is not very good at using them.

However, even if Howard's role is limited, he can still help the thick eyebrows in the interior. Howard's recent role has also been recognized by Vogel. But Vogel still doesn't seem to like using a center. In yesterday's game against the Celtics, he put Tucker in the starting position and let him play the fifth position.

This situation is not entirely a problem with Jordan and Howard, but is caused by the team's existing lineup. Previously, there were many opinions that the Lakers signing DeAndre Jordan and Howard at the same time was a waste of reinforcements. At least now it seems that this view is reasonable.

So what is the problem with the Lakers lineup that makes Vogel not like to use big men inside, but instead uses James' big move at the fifth position at critical moments?

The Lakers lineup looks luxurious, but it has three major shortcomings: 1. The lineup is aging, 2. James and Westbrook have problems, 3. The forward personnel and energy are insufficient.

It is well known that the Lakers' lineup is aging. The average age is as high as 31.5 years old, ranking first in the league, and 2.7 years older than the second-ranked Heat. The biggest problems brought about by the aging lineup are overall flexibility and defensive issues.

The lack of forward personnel reserves is also a big problem. Even though the Lakers have big inside players like DeAndre Jordan and Howard, the average height of the Lakers is only 197.9cm, ranking second to last in the league, only taller than the Rockets. a little. why is that? Because the middle height is broken, apart from James and Anthony, only Ariza, who is recovering from illness, is left at the forward position.

When these two problems are put together, you can understand how bad the Lakers' defense is this season. He needs speed but not speed, and he needs height but not height (Howard's height is not considered a big center). When switching defenses in a pick-and-roll, there will be a huge misalignment. To put it nicely, it's unorganized, but to put it worst, it's like being stabbed by thousands of people.

The above two problems are more of a defensive problem, while the Lakers' offensive problems are more of a distribution problem between James and Westbrook. Although before the start of the season, both of them said that they would change their playing style to make the team more reasonable, in fact, neither of them could completely change their playing style and could only play other roles occasionally.

For example, Westbrook can actually play without the ball. Don't think that Westbrook is useless except for breaking through with the ball, especially the basket is extremely unstable. Playing without the ball does not necessarily require particularly accurate shooting ability (yes, of course it is best). Running without the ball, instigating, running and cutting to the basket, etc. are also part of the ability to play without the ball. Westbrook is very good at this. Whenever Westbrook passes the ball to the thick eyebrows, he will not ambush the outside line. This is not his good ability. He will choose to run, look for opportunities to cut into the basket, or pass the ball to open teammates.

Of course, this kind of off-ball play will require more physical strength. Fortunately, Westbrook's energy and passion can't be used up on the court. In addition to physical problems, if Westbrook cannot shoot, his off-ball play will definitely be restricted by the opponent, so Westbrook still has to return to the main point position most of the time.

The change in Westbrook's role must be closely related to James, so the roles of the two are changing at any time. One moment, James is in charge, Westbrook is off the ball, and the next moment, Westbrook is in charge, and James is in charge. No ball. As for Tucker taking control in the last game and letting Westbrook play without the ball, I never expected it. It only shows that Vogel is frantically looking for a balance point in the lineup.

Vogel, who is better at a defense-focused style of play, is somewhat helpless in the face of the current team's situation. So he kept trying new lineups, trying to make changes, and James played the center position.

In the games against the Pistons and Pacers, the 37-year-old James did not expect that he would finally reach the fifth position. However, such a novel lineup has limitations.

First: physical strength issues.

James playing five means that the team's lineup needs to increase its speed. On the defensive end, James not only has to defend the opponent's tall center, but also sometimes has to defend against flexible defenders. For the 37-year-old James, Physical strength is a huge test, even to prevent the risk of injury.

Second: the opponent’s height problem. In fact, James was asked to play five these two times because the opponent did not have a big inside player in the traditional sense. For example, the Pacers' Sabonis or Turner did not have much height advantage against the 2.06-meter James.

Third: This is a new lineup the Lakers tried, and their opponents were not prepared. As the season progresses, and even into the playoffs, the Lakers' "Five Pseudo-Deaths" are not that powerful. As long as the opponent has enough research, they will definitely be cracked.

Therefore, based on these three points, there will be fewer and fewer games in which James plays the fifth position. "Critical moments" can be used unexpectedly, but it is by no means a long-term and winning way for the Lakers.

Judging from the current situation of the Lakers, Howard returns to the fifth position, with thick eyebrows playing four, Bradley playing two, and James and Westbrook adjusting to each other. This is the most comfortable starting lineup for the Lakers.

"Ball" is the same while reserving differences, I am the God on the right hand

Because the Lakers' inside line is not very useful, the 37-year-old James is the second best inside line in the current Lakers lineup. Since Davis is not physically strong enough to play center throughout the game, James can only take over; in addition, letting James play inside is also a kind of protection for James.

In the 21-22 season, the Lakers have hoarded two pure centers in Howard and DeAndre Jordan at the center position. However, so far, their combined average time per game is less than 30 minutes. The remaining time at the center position It is shared by James and Davis. In many games, Jordan and Howard basically have no playing time, and the center position is basically shared by Davis and James.

Sitting at the center position not only requires strong rim protection, but also excellent offensive skills and coordination capabilities. If there are such insider players, the team's competitiveness will not be bad. However, Howard and DeAndre Jordan obviously do not have such offensive and defensive technical conditions. In the past, they could rely on their strong physical fitness to make a living in the interior. However, Howard is 37 years old and his physical fitness is not as good as before. Needless to say, DeAndre Jordan relies on his offensive skills. Eat the cake, but your ability to protect the basket is in shambles.

Look at how bad Jordan is this season. He averaged 13.8 minutes per game this season, averaging 4.8 points, 6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game. Although his shooting percentage exceeded 70%, They are all dunks, basically have no independent offensive ability, and the ability to protect the basket is negligible. His personal average plus-minus per game is only -2.2, and his net winning rate is only -7.5. Compared with Jordan, the 37-year-old Howard performed much better, averaging 5.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks in 14.8 minutes per game. Although the statistics are average, Howard's defense, blocking and other skills are excellent, with a net efficiency of 2.2. Although Howard is excellent, he obviously does not adapt to small lineups.

DeAndre Jordan and Howard are useless. The Lakers can only put the burden of center on Davis, but Davis's physical confrontation ability is not enough to support him playing center throughout the game. Therefore, Wo Ger naturally focused on James, a veteran who can play five positions at the same time.

As the famous all-around king in NBA history, James can perfectly play any position. During the Heat, James was as competitive as any center as a center; although he is 37 years old, James is His ability to read the game has reached an advanced level, and his ability to finish under the basket remains undiminished. His ability to support the team under the basket can further enhance the team's overall offensive strength, and this ability is not comparable to that of Jordan and Howard. Therefore, James is the Lakers' second-best inside player after Big Eyebrow.

As we all know, in the five small lineups of the Lakers, James, the thick-browed brother, is usually paired with the inside combination, and the two people always appear alternately at the center and power forward positions. This is a kind of interaction between the two. Protection is also a need to improve the team's defensive quality.

Brother Big Eyebrow is a typical glass attribute, and it is impossible to stay at the center position all the time. He plays about 20 minutes per game as a center, which is basically the limit. If he plays more, there is a risk of injury; although James is 37 As he ages, his speed has slowed down, but his weight and resistance ensure that he can not fall behind in internal confrontations. Therefore, currently playing center is actually a disguised protection for James. At least he does not need to be big to play center. The area's coverage is a great relief for James' physical fitness.

When Davis served as power forward, although his offense was not as good as before, his defensive coverage was still there. In this way, the Lakers' defense would at least not collapse. In this way, James and Davis alternately serve as center and power forward. Firstly, they can ensure the team's defensive quality. Secondly, they can change directions to protect their physical condition. They can also compete with any small lineup. It can be said that it kills three birds with one stone. .

All in all, it is Vogel's helplessness to let James serve as center. Jordan's ability to protect the basket is not good, and sending Howard will damage the Lakers' offensive space. Therefore, Vogel can only let James and thick eyebrows Share inside time, so that not only can two shooters be placed at the same time, but also the thick eyebrows and James can be protected at the same time.

James is really easy to use, he is getting stronger as time goes by, he is not convinced, he has skills, body, and more importantly, he has a golf IQ! It was so fun!

In fact, the Lakers acquired DeAndre Jordan and Howard before the season, which I think is enough, but don’t forget that some teams have special goals and requirements for retaining players in specific positions, for example, The famous trade of that year: The Thunder traded James Harden because the Thunder hoped to use the limited space to retain Perkins. But in fact, Perkins' contribution at the time was indeed limited, but the Thunder management believed that they would Encountering the Lakers in the playoffs, Perkins was needed to limit Dwight Howard, who had just traveled west, and insisted on sending Harden away! Of course everyone knows the result, you know, hee hee hee hee.

But who are the Lakers trying to defend with so many big men? None of the current beasts in the Western Conference, the Warriors or the Suns, rely on the inside to play. If you open your eyes, there are only one or two teams with inside stars in the league. They may not be able to meet each other. Although DeAndre Jordan and Howard are two The price of the inside line is not valuable, but they take up the spots for reinforcements and precious playing time. Could it be that the Lakers' top management feels that the style of the league is about to change again?

Coach Vogel has experimented with James' center-playing tactics many times in previous games. That is to say: the Lakers are now among the best in the entire NBA because they have thick eyebrows like Anthony Davis. A master at both ends of the floor. Looking at the current trend in the NBA, the inside line is defined as functional. I think it is difficult to find a superstar at the 5th position. In fact, from this point of view, the Lakers are still scarce!

At first, the style of playing James at the 5th position was originally created by Spoelstra. Later, Tyronn Lue integrated it and won the final title. This was the Heat and Cavaliers finals that year. The way to play! Due to the presence of Westbrook, the Lakers should have lowered the height of the team long ago. Westbrook can make up for their disadvantage in rebound protection. During the Cavaliers and Heat, James also had Wade in the 4-small lineup. With an outside line like Irving who can handle the ball and break through to help LeBron James attack the basket, Westbrook is perfect. But they lack useful outside shooters. Now the entire league is searching for shooters, and no team will acquire a bunch of traditional inside players. It would be better if the shooter has height. For example, Melo Anthony is an obvious successful introduction case! As long as Melo doesn't pursue special shooting rights and works hard to defend on the court, then he will have a longer career and now he has become the three-point king of the Lakers (how has he rejuvenated)?

The Lakers should now deploy their own outside shooters as soon as possible instead of recruiting traditional insiders who have been eliminated by the times. They should make full use of the strong containment of James, Westbrook and Davis with thick eyebrows on the offensive end, so that their The regular season will be much smoother, and no matter how energetic you are, it won’t work if it doesn’t work.

First of all, none of his centers are qualified. Not to mention Jordan's famous loopholes, Howard, you can't compare him with the peak, otherwise you can't have a basic salary and still be homeless, he can only be considered a blue-collar worker. But he has no shooting range, and in the end he can only play center with thick eyebrows. But he is not a center. Last season, Drummond was a joke, so you know he is not good.

James plays center largely due to the rhythm of the game. In addition, after the pick-and-roll, he is a very big killer to attack the basket. Facing the current inside players in the league, speed and range are actually the first priority.

First of all, James plays center at critical moments in order to give the lineup the best matching effect. Because of the introduction of Westbrook, Westbrook will definitely be on the court at critical moments, but it is impossible for Westbrook to arrange big players on the court. When the center is on the court, because there is not enough space, the mainstream modern style of play is to open up the space. In the 1980s and 1990s, it was impossible to play this kind of lineup.

Secondly, in addition to the problems on the defensive end when James plays center, the offensive end can be said to be extremely lethal. For James, playing against the center is a big mismatch, whether it is shooting or breakthrough. No problem, he is a great threat, can speed up, and is in line with the play style of the era. In addition, Westbrook is a center on the back line, can grab rebounds, and the rebounds will not be much worse than the opponent's lineup.

In the end, the only centers signed by the Lakers were Howard and DeAndre Jordan. These two were absolutely fine at their peak. Now they are older, their defensive pace is slow, and they cannot keep up with defenders. This is also Vog's fault. Coach Er’s helpless move.

In the end, the time when James played center was actually a short period of time when Big Eyebrow was not on the court. Most of the time, James did not play center, so it was not as serious as it was said. At critical moments, Big Eyebrow was still playing center.

There is a saying that I don’t want to use it without others

The NBA is no longer a single tactic that relies solely on defensive counterattacks. Why use James to play four or five? In fact, it is for To adapt to the current concept of playing fast basketball, especially when the Warriors' five small lineups won the championship and ushered in the small ball era, rapid transition has become the current mainstream game in the league.

The current lineup of the Lakers is not so variable, mainly because the Lakers are slow inside, which is a hard configuration that cannot be changed. Neither Andre Jordan nor Howard are fast-moving types. Howard's defensive space is relatively large, but limited by his offensive methods, his mid-to-long-range shooting ability is weak. Although Howard's three-point shots have increased significantly this season and his shooting percentage is not bad, it does not change the fundamentals of his poor offensive skills. Ander Jordan's offensive methods are even poorer than Howard's, and he can't add space to the team on the offensive end, so this is why neither Howard nor Jordan can suddenly get higher playing time in the regular rotation. Their defensive ability and rebounding The protection ability is good, but it cannot make up for the space problem on the offensive end.

The current lineup that the Lakers can change is to use James as a senior and Davis as a five. Although Davis cannot change the problem of slow pace, at least his shooting ability can make up for the space problem. The four-forward lineup can rotate well when switching defenses. In theory, there will be no missing players after switching defenses, allowing the opponent to shoot empty blue. At the same time, speed is used on the offensive end to create mismatches, allowing teammates to have better shooting space.

The Lakers may have two reasons for hoarding insiders. Although the slow movement of the inside is a flaw, it is undeniable that the blue line defensive ability and rebound protection cannot be compensated by forward players. First of all, height It is easy to cause misalignment and be targeted. If you have strong inside finishing ability, it is also easy to suppress rebounds and inside scoring. Especially in the playoffs, due to the long season of the regular season, many defenses cannot increase their intensity, and the league is not allowed to protect players to reduce injuries.

The second one may be for the mid-season trade plan. The Lakers have Davis as an inside strong point, and paired with someone who can temporarily rotate in and protect rebounds, it is actually enough. The addition may be due to the opponent at any time. You have to play a small lineup. Don't encounter a team like the Warriors. They often use a small lineup to play fast and have to adjust the small lineup to deal with it. Therefore, most of the time, they don't have a lot of playing time inside. Therefore, it is not ruled out that the Lakers will seek to play in the middle of the season. The trade brings a good striker. Judging from the current performance of the Lakers' players, Howard is likely to become a bargaining chip. Howard's current ability in the interior will make many teams interested in him in the future.

In fact, there are very few games where the Lakers use James to play center at critical moments. They do not play like this in every game. This must be adjusted according to the game and the opponent's lineup.

Small-ball style is popular in the NBA now. Many games are played exclusively by guards and forwards until the end. Even if there are insiders, they are not very tall, but they can run fast, shoot accurately, and can shoot well. For those who can defend, the current style of play is mainly fast and flexible. If you put a big center on the court, he will be trained by the opponent's defenders. Do you still remember the previous finals between the Cavaliers and Warriors, when Curry beat Love? In the playoffs last season, when the Suns swept the Nuggets 4-0, Paul trained regular season MVP Jokic in the military; the Clippers defeated the Jazz without Leonard and also relied on guards and forwards to train Goliath in the military. Bell. In recent years, the most exciting playoff games were when the Rockets played the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. At that time, both teams used their small lineups to the extreme, and the games were very exciting.

The Lakers' insiders who can play include DeAndre Jordan, Howard, and Davis. The other insiders have almost no chance to play. Although Davis has played center this year for the most time in his career, the effect is not good. Howard and DeAndre Jordan are both older insiders and cannot guarantee output for a long time, and both of them are tall. Center, when defending the opponent's tall center, you can send two of them, but if you encounter an opponent playing a small lineup, Howard and Jordan are not suitable.

Therefore, the Lakers sometimes use James to play center at critical moments. On the one hand, James is physically strong and can withstand the impact of the opponent's center. On the other hand, there are very few super centers nowadays. Therefore, centers generally rarely participate in offense and spend most of their time on defense. This also gives James time to rest. Only when James attacks can he have better physical strength to help the team score.