Lakers Starting Line up

[First Take]

I feel like Dwight Howard should start over McGee. However I feel like with the recent comments that McGee has said (proclaiming that he expects to be a starter), it would mess him up with Dwight Howard starting over him ala Andrew Bynum and Roy Hibbert.

[Kilroy]

I feel like Dwight Howard should start over McGee. However I feel like with the recent comments that McGee has said (proclaiming that he expects to be a starter), it would mess him up with Dwight Howard starting over him ala Andrew Bynum and Roy Hibbert.

You must be seeing something nobody else is if you think Dwight should start over McGee... McGee has been nothing short of sensational so far, and Howard still looks like he's trying to figure it all out.

McGee had no problem coming off the bench for Zubac... He'll have no problem coming off the bench for Howard if he gets out -played... But that just isn't happening right now.

[SlimShady83]

For anyone who thinks Howard should start

[mcscotty]

I feel like Dwight Howard should start over McGee. However I feel like with the recent comments that McGee has said (proclaiming that he expects to be a starter), it would mess him up with Dwight Howard starting over him ala Andrew Bynum and Roy Hibbert.

Sounds a lot better than the "Caruso should start" crowd. That guy is hot garbage.

[Rosque]

I guess y'all didn't watch todays game.

[mcscotty]

I guess y'all didn't watch todays game.

I did. Both Javale and Dwight played awesome ball. My guess is they'll both get their share of starts depending on the matchup.

[First Take]

Dwight played better than McGee.

[SlimShady83]

[LAKESHOW]

The 5 is okay. Weve got capable personnel there. The 1 is a decision. Weve got guys who can dribble, cant shoot. Guys who can shoot, cant dribble or defend. Guys who can defend, cant shoot and have no decision playmaking abilities. The point guard has parts or areas of competence. But not an all around guy. Im thinking this staff likes rondo, but im tired of seeing defenders waiting under the basket for a rebound daring him to shoot the rock. Best case scenario? Get iggy.

[zimpy27]

Here are some sortable stats in preseason for per 100 possessions:

https://stats.nba.com/players/traditional/?sort=AST&dir=-1&Season=2019-20&SeasonType=Pre%20Season&PerMode=Per100Possessions&TeamID=1610612747

Leaders
Assists - LeBron, Stockton and Caruso
Boards - Dwight and McGee
Steals - Jackson, Howard and Daniels
TO - Rondo and Howard
Blks - McGee and Davis
3% - Stockton, Caruso and Rondo
PTS - Davis and LeBron

Caruso, Green, LeBron, AD, McGee should be the starting lineup.

Rondo, Bradley/KCP, Daniels, Kuzma, Howard should be the backup.

[Kilroy]

Are we still ignoring the fact that Caruso’s all come against scrubs?

[iamworthy]

Caruso wouldn’t even be in the rotation if I were running the team.

[TheGOATWill]

Caruso wouldn’t even be in the rotation if I were running the team.

you'll feel better in the regular season when his role is reduced to catch and shoot opportunities and defense.

[Ernest]

Celtics fan here but you guys would be crazy not to start Rondo. Keep him running the offense- I don't mean having the ball more than LBJ but as a kind of player coach. Then wait for the playoffs where he can give you some real magic. LBJ and Rondo in the playoffs is going to be scary for everyone you face. I think you guys will like Bradley too.

Why not just start off with Rondo, AB, LBJ, AD, Howard and see how it goes and see if anyone beats anyone out for a spot in the first 10 games or so.

[thebigbird]

Celtics fan here but you guys would be crazy not to start Rondo. Keep him running the offense- I don't mean having the ball more than LBJ but as a kind of player coach. Then wait for the playoffs where he can give you some real magic. LBJ and Rondo in the playoffs is going to be scary for everyone you face. I think you guys will like Bradley too.

He can be a player coach from the bench. Starting Rondo would be great to Celtics fans, because it would handicap the Lakers. Cook and Bradley should be getting the point guard minutes.

[LAKESHOW]

Celtics fan here but you guys would be crazy not to start Rondo. Keep him running the offense- I don't mean having the ball more than LBJ but as a kind of player coach. Then wait for the playoffs where he can give you some real magic. LBJ and Rondo in the playoffs is going to be scary for everyone you face. I think you guys will like Bradley too.

Why not just start off with Rondo, AB, LBJ, AD, Howard and see how it goes and see if anyone beats anyone out for a spot in the first 10 games or so.

Thats how we defeated the celtics in 2010. Kobe never played defense the whole series. And roamed around double teaming at will.

[Kilroy]

Celtics fan here but you guys would be crazy not to start Rondo. Keep him running the offense- I don't mean having the ball more than LBJ but as a kind of player coach. Then wait for the playoffs where he can give you some real magic. LBJ and Rondo in the playoffs is going to be scary for everyone you face. I think you guys will like Bradley too.

Why not just start off with Rondo, AB, LBJ, AD, Howard and see how it goes and see if anyone beats anyone out for a spot in the first 10 games or so.

Because we need Green to cover for LeBron on D and because AB is both a better defender and shooter than Rondo but he's too small to defend 3s for LeBron. There is some logic to starting Rondo just to get everyone going, but LeBron seems to be doing a perfectly fine job of that.

Rondo may be the guy you bring in to start the 2nd half to give LeBron some extended rest and keep the offense flowing the way it should.

But right now, it's Rondo who needs to beat out not only Bradly, but also Cook, for PT. Both those guys have been incredible.

[warren weel im]

The optimal lineup that maximizes each strengths would be:

Cook, Green, Lebron, AD, McGee

^ The defense on that group, along with shooting will be impressive. Cook appears to have good chemistry with Lebron, the Mario Chalmers of the group it looks like. He will just have to hold his own defensively and this group will be the shoe-in starting group.

Then Lebron rests and Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard go in, slowly substituting Green with KCP and Cook with Rondo or Caruso. When the 1st quarter ends, we'd be safely ahead by a couple of points, like 8-10.

2nd Quarter opens with Lebron back in the saddle. Rondo, Bradey, KCP and Howard with him. Its defense + bully-ball offense with Lebron at "PF" ... sometimes you would try Troy Daniels in here for more shooting ideally with Rondo out of it.

Either way, we're fine. If we can rest Lebron at the 9-minute mark while AD continues his tear for the entire 1st quarter, an objective 8-pt lead would be a mini goal. The 2nd unit, as I mentioned, should be enough to sustain the lead and maybe increase it to 12, right before the AD + Bron pairing assumes back.

There will be nights where ultra fast teams that shoot like crazy (Denver, Brooklyn and Houston) will give us problems. But that's ok, 6-penciled losses is nothing compared to easy coasting wins where AD and Bron might sit 4th q's.

[stan francisco]

Here are some sortable stats in preseason for per 100 possessions:

https://stats.nba.com/players/traditional/?sort=AST&dir=-1&Season=2019-20&SeasonType=Pre%20Season&PerMode=Per100Possessions&TeamID=1610612747

Leaders
Assists - LeBron, Stockton and Caruso
Boards - Dwight and McGee
Steals - Jackson, Howard and Daniels
TO - Rondo and Howard
Blks - McGee and Davis
3% - Stockton, Caruso and Rondo
PTS - Davis and LeBron

[b]Caruso, Green, LeBron, AD, McGee should be the starting lineup.[/]

This. Caruso had an unusually bad last preseason game with uncharacteristic fumbles, he even missed multiple bunnies like he never does. To me, it was one bad game and he’ll bounce back.

[MAMBAEMD]

I like Caruso but he should not start over AB.

Also, JaVale should start games to set the defensive intensity. D12 should not start for this team.