How To Build a Bench

[ALL HAIL]

I believe, in most cases that you have your best defenders start games and you bring at least two (preferably three) instant offense guys off your bench.

The Lakers main four guys off the bench are Blake, Barnes, Murphy, and Goudelock.

Goudelock gives instant offense and would probably thrive if he played with an oversized PG, but other than him (Goudelock), the Lakers don't have anyone who can come in consistently and give you double figures.

What's interesting is that if either Blake or Murphy started and played the same minutes they'd probably produce a lot more.

If no changes are made (I predict they will), Mike Brown should really consider some shifting of players. Not changing minutes, just shifting the rotation a bit so that our bench role players are not asked to be 2nd or 3rd scoring options on the floor.

- Blake is not a scorer and never will be. He is a 5th scoring option on the floor.

- Barnes is not a scorer and never will be. He is a 5th scoring option on the floor.

- Murphy is more of a scorer than Barnes and Blake, but he is only a 4th scoring option on the floor.

- Goudelock is definitely a scorer, but becuase he is an undersized shooting guard he can't really play big minutes until the Lakers get a PG who can really guard SGs. Goudelock is a solid 3rd scoring option on the floor.

Until changes are made, why not move start Blake and Murphy, and bring Fisher and Gasol off the bench to help stabilize a very bad situation?

I think you'll find that we'd lose none of Gasol's productivity and Blake, Murphy, and Fisher will play better in new roles.

For a bench to be at its' best, it HAS TO HAVE some pop coming off of it. Other than Goudleock, currently, the Lakers have absolutely no pop coming off the bench.

What's so bad about a bench of Gasol, Goudelock, Fisher, and Barnes?

[dirtymike]

Gasol coming off the bench?????

[Dr Aki]

throw sh*t at the wall and see if it sticks

[Gek]

I understand what you're saying, but there's no way we bench Pau, especially with that sensitive head of his. In my opinion, the issue is we just don't have a scoring option off the bench. I've been a Glock critic for awhile, but he's not a double digit scorer, at least not yet. He's a second round draft pick out of Charleston, undersized at the SG slot and playing in the Western Conference night in and night out. He hasn't consistently showed any second half scoring (I believe the majority of his points come in the first half). The rest of what you said is true about our second unit, but that's why Mike Brown has been leaving Drew out there.

I've been messing with NBA.com's line up comparison and the glowing feature is Kobe can't play with Bynum efficiently. Kobe, still, needs floor spacers. Especially since he is playing more possesions in the post under Brown. You've almost hit the nail on the head with the Lakers, "ideal" lineup.

For simplicity's sake, I'll use their "Netrtg" stat which is point differential per 100 possessions. Listed in order of usage in total minutes. All other stats listed per 48 min. Players are ordered by usage %.

380 min: Kobe, Pau, Bynum, Fisher, MWP: 7.6 (93.9 ppg, 30.0% 3P, 54.3% reb%)
303 min: Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, Barnes, Fisher: -0.5 (92.8 ppg, 25.4% 3P, 53.7% reb%)
105 min: Bynum, Glock, Barnes, Blake, Murph: 3.2 (89.6 ppg, 44.2% 3P, 51.9% reb%)
63 min: Kobe, Pau, Barnes, Blake, Murphy: 24.4 (111.2 ppg, 43% 3P, 54.6% reb%)


Line-up 4, by far, is our best line-up statistically speaking. The sample size is slightly smaller minutes and total games wise (14 games as opposed to 20-25 for the others). It is also important to note that the DefRtg of line-up 4 is 97 while the starting line-up has a DefRtg of 92. Our starting line-up is our best defensively and that's why Mike Brown has them starting imo.

Make off all those stats what you wish, I just thought I'd share since I was looking them up myself.

[ALL HAIL]

If I had to pinpoint one problem I've had with management over the years (including this year), I'd have to say it's their seeming inability to provide a legitimate scoring threats off the bench.

This team has needed a scoring pop behind Fisher and Ariza/Artest for many years now, but have been unable and unwilling to go out and take some chances to get that.

All that being said, I do believe they'll finally rectify this situation.

I just don't understand why the majority of basketball minds don't clearly understand the dire need to have multiple scoring threats coming off the bench ... to me it's an absolute neccesity, even if it means bringing one of your top three players off the bench to give THE TEAM the BALANCE it needs (ask KC Jones about Kevin McHale, Popovich about GInobli, and Carlisle about Terry).

Sometime as a coach and organization you have to make bold moves to produce very bold results.

[Sofa King]

[Jajwanda]

Goran Dragic-Goudelock-Barnes-Murphy-Bynum
Goran Dragic-Bryant-Barnes-McRoberts-Gasol

Are the two primary bench lineups^

Blake-Bryant-World Peace-Gasol-Bynum are the starters.

Dragic-Goudelock-Bryant-Gasol-Bynum finish games unless match ups require the large SFs.

Estimated playing time:

PG- Blake (12), Dragic (36)
SG- Bryant (34), Goudelock (14)
SF- MWP (34), Barnes (14)
PF- Gasol (20), Murphy (14), McRoberts (14)
C- Bynum (34), Gasol (14)

[B-Scott]

I understand what you're saying, but there's no way we bench Pau, especially with that sensitive head of his. In my opinion, the issue is we just don't have a scoring option off the bench. I've been a Glock critic for awhile, but he's not a double digit scorer, at least not yet. He's a second round draft pick out of Charleston, undersized at the SG slot and playing in the Western Conference night in and night out. He hasn't consistently showed any second half scoring (I believe the majority of his points come in the first half). The rest of what you said is true about our second unit, but that's why Mike Brown has been leaving Drew out there.

I've been messing with NBA.com's line up comparison and the glowing feature is Kobe can't play with Bynum efficiently. Kobe, still, needs floor spacers. Especially since he is playing more possesions in the post under Brown. You've almost hit the nail on the head with the Lakers, "ideal" lineup.

For simplicity's sake, I'll use their "Netrtg" stat which is point differential per 100 possessions. Listed in order of usage in total minutes. All other stats listed per 48 min. Players are ordered by usage %.

380 min: Kobe, Pau, Bynum, Fisher, MWP: 7.6 (93.9 ppg, 30.0% 3P, 54.3% reb%)
303 min: Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, Barnes, Fisher: -0.5 (92.8 ppg, 25.4% 3P, 53.7% reb%)
105 min: Bynum, Glock, Barnes, Blake, Murph: 3.2 (89.6 ppg, 44.2% 3P, 51.9% reb%)
63 min: Kobe, Pau, Barnes, Blake, Murphy: 24.4 (111.2 ppg, 43% 3P, 54.6% reb%)


Line-up 4, by far, is our best line-up statistically speaking. The sample size is slightly smaller minutes and total games wise (14 games as opposed to 20-25 for the others). It is also important to note that the DefRtg of line-up 4 is 97 while the starting line-up has a DefRtg of 92. Our starting line-up is our best defensively and that's why Mike Brown has them starting imo.

Make off all those stats what you wish, I just thought I'd share since I was looking them up myself.

Glock has only been playing 7 to 10 minutes a night of late. It's hard to score in double digits in that short of time. When he was getting 20 minutes with Blake out he was averaging 11 points a game and just starting to get rolling.

He's a double digit scorer with 20 + minutes. Blake and Fisher struggle just to score 6 points in 20 + minutes.

Give him a chance to close a game for a change. Brown is afraid to take chances. Even Phil Jackson would sometimes let Sasha close a game just to see what he had to offer. You might end up with a pleasant surprise.

When teams start doubling late 4th. Goudelock ability catch when your running at him, pump fake and attack to the rack might make the team better at closing out games

[Jajwanda]

Goudelock next to a big starting PG probably is good enough to be a starter, especially if he's the 4th or 5th option. It's not a huge stretch.

His only real weakness is his defense isn't that good yet and his size. If that's compensated for he's the Laker's second best guard.

[dub81]

Jim should just go ask pat riley on how to build a bench

scouting (Norris Cole, Chalmer's) and 3 point shooter's (Mike Miller, Shane, James Jones)..and don't over spend on scrub's. (Luke Walton)