Kobe playing Small Forward??

[vinnycorleone]

I understand what Phil was trying to do when he put Vladi in the starting lineup last year. I get what he's trying to do with Luke in the starting lineup this year. BUT I was thinking....what if we ran with a lineup of:

D. Fish
S. Vujacic
K. Bryant
P. Gasol
A. Bynum

Phil talks about the spacing on our team and there is no better spacer than Sasha becomes he gets respect for his shooting. Everyone knows Kobe likes to the play at the 3 position more than shooting guard. ALSO last year after we got Pau our fourth quarter lineup was the following:

Fish
Sasha
Bryant
Lamar
Pau

That was the lineup we won all our playoff games and last 20 regular season wins with. I saw Phil go back to it the other day when the Lakers played the Bucks and it worked to perfection.

Plus all 3 guys (fish, sasha, kobe) can switch any screens because they are all capable of guarding any of the 3 positions (maybe not fish on a true small forward but he wouldnt be BAD). Soooo what do you guys think of this lineup?

I saw some trade speculation about his getting Shane Battier and i was thinking thats perfect for 1 reason. Shane at the 2 and Kobe at the 3. Thats takes so much pressure off of Kobe because there aren't any great small forwards in the Western Conference.

Spurs - Bowen
Hornets - Peja
Utah - AK47
Portland - Nicolas Batum
Dallas - Devean George

What do you guys think?

[hermes]

i'm opposed if it means less minutes for ariza

but unless your plan is the phase out luke and vlad, then i'll be for that

[kobeaki]

well, i have long been a very strong advocate of using kobe at the three for long long time, ad nauseum/infinitum , and for a great many reasons, but with a triangle offense/scheme, really all players with exception to center, are pretty much three/twos, i am guessing thats why kobe rarely has starts in that position, also i am starting to wonder if phil is also aware of the lack of the zone, and starting positions, and maybe is trying to conceal our weaknesses to opposing scouts...

[Danny Darko]

I'd love to get Sasha more minutes and have Kobe play the 3. I've also been with that idea for a while. We paid Sasha for an increased roll and he plays less this year? huh? Luke, Vlad not starters. Trevor will still see the same minutes and our starters still spread the floor.

[Verbal]

Kobe might be more dangerous at the 3 position.

I like him at the 3 more so than the 2.


Didn't Jordan play the 3 too?

[vinnycorleone]

Exactly Donny Darko. We paid him and we know Sasha can shoot so why not spread the floor with him. Plus I think he's a good defender at the 2 and Kobe is a definite improvement over luke and vladi at the 3.

glad to hear someone finally agreed with something i said on this forum.

Sasha is gettin 14 minutes per game right now. That's stupid. He should be up to 20 minutes a game atleast.
In the 4th quarter we don't need Ariza. We need a guy who can defend and shoot. If Ariza could should consistently we wouldn't be having this convo but he can't and no one respects his shot. Sasha is a flat out knock down shooter. Give him some run and let Kobe play his natural position. Why fix what's not broken?

If Denver, Utah, and the Spurs couldn't beat that 4th quarter lineup with Sasha at the 2 and Kobe at the 3 why would we change it?

[Erik Eleven]

Kobe has always been a much more efficient scorer and passer at the three.

[TylersLakers]

We'd all love for it to happen, but it won't. I personally think it's a "thing" for Kobe, where he wants to be known as a guard. That's just my opinion. And until Phil tells him, "I want you to start at the 3," I don't think his feelings will change.

[lakeshow248]

The only problem with that is the Sasha factor, he is a black hole once he gets the ball. It is going up, so you don't get the passing that the first unit needs to get the proper amount of touches for the big guys and Kobe.

That being said, Sasha has a ton of talent but he doesn't have the IQ for the structure of a team game, if he had Luke's B Ball IQ he'd be great. As for Sasha he should try to dribble and kick out or finish at rim looking for a foul or even, God forbid dribble and pass to the big men.

That is something that I don't get, for the most part D FIsh and Farmar don't dribble drive and kick to Pau and Andrew which is the Lakers' highest percentage shot. You see Kobe once and a while look to do it but the other primary ball handlers don't.

Triangle this and Triangle that but a simple high screen to get Farmar or Fisher in the lane and a pass to Bynum or Gasol is just what is needed. When I watch Pierce and Lebron even they get that high screen so much more often then Kobe allowing them to get into the lane easier and find their way to the line or kick to a big for a layup or and one.

Boston loves to play the Lakers' because they no the Lakers' offense so well. Kobe on the elbow one on one waiting for a double to kick to fish or Luke or the kobe post pass to Gasol or Andrew. The offense is designed to create 3 on 2's w/ ball movement from side to side but versus the C's the Lakers couldnt' do any cutting or slashing to the rim. Right now they run that one play for Ariza where he cuts baseline and Pau or Andrew passes to him as he goes by for a dunk but that is about it. The rest is half court, slow predicatable passing.

If a team gives you trouble like Boston, why wouldn't just go to the simple highscreen and roll--at least this way you get into the paint and put pressure on.

[Slava]

A week ago I would have welcomed this idea but now with Luke in the starting line up, thats the most efficient way to get something out of our glut of SFs and I really like the fluidity he brings to our offense. He's a much better passer, which substitutes for Fisher's playmaking deficiencies and his ball handling abilities make it much easier for Kobe/Pau and Bynum to get good touches. I would much rather expect Luke to start hitting the open shot than go undersized at the 3.

Also if Kobe moves to the 3, LO and Ariza would have to be satisfied with much lesser minutes and I'm already not onboard with the way Phil's been using Odom.

[biggamejames2]

Thats takes so much pressure off of Kobe because there aren't any great small forwards in the Western Conference.

Spurs - Bowen
Hornets - Peja
Utah - AK47
Portland - Nicolas Batum
Dallas - Devean George

Just for the sake of arguement what about Melo, Tmac, Pierce, LeBron, TayPrince...having Kobe chase around these guys probably wouldn't be ideal. I think having LO and Ariza losing minutes to gain Sasha some minutes isn't nearly as beneficial as it is just replacing Luke for Sasha. Also, Sasha and Vlad bring almost the same thing to the table except Sasha is a little stronger on the defensive end. Not worth the switch IMO

[joe.linnen]

I like the idea of moving Vujacic into the starting line up. I don't think it would really hurt Odom or Ariza minute wise at all. If that was the case just slide Kobe back to the 2 when Ariza and Odom checks into the game. Allow Vijacic to play with both units givin him different looks, playing along side Kobe, Pau, and Drew should give him all the open looks he needs. On top of that he would get the minutes that he has been paid to play.

SF:Bryant(20)/Ariza(28)
PF:Gasol(20)/Odom(28)
C:Bynum(33)/Gasol(15)
SG:Vujacic(25)/Bryant(15)/Sun(8)
PG:Fisher(25)/Farmar(23)


Bryant-35
Gasol-35
Bynum-33
Vujacic-25
Fisher-25
Odom-28
Ariza-28
Farmar-23
Sun-8

[hermes]

wooo Sun getting some pt

no Powell, joe?

[Dexmor]

Kobe rarely losses matchups or struggles vs people but the people he has struggled against have all been 3's. Why put him there. In 04 Prince made him struggle, last year it was Pierce and we have all seen what Battier has done.
Battier for Odom is perfect because Battier fits perfectly as our 3 gives us defensive toughness and the spacing.