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LakerTom (Publisher) 4:18 PM on August 20, 2018 Permalink  

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  LakerTom (Publisher) 4:24 PM on August 20, 2018 Permalink

  Here’s a good question. What do the Lakers do if they keep Brandon Ingram and sign Kawhi Leonard? Where do Ingram and Leonard play? Neither can play point guard or shooting guard and LeBron is already set to play power forward. So where do they play? The only solution might be for LeBron to play the 5.

  PG: Lonzo Ball
  SG: Josh Hart
  SF: Brandon Ingram
  PF: Kawhi Leonard
  CE: LeBron James

  Could this situation lead the Lakers to go after a shooting guard instead?

  PG: Lonzo Ball
  SG: Klay Thompson
  SF: Brandon Ingram
  PF: LeBron James
  CE: Willie Cauley-Stein

  PG: Lonzo Ball
  SG: Kevin Durant
  SF: Brandon Ingram
  PF: LeBron James
  CE: Willie Cauley-Stein

  Or maybe a center instead?

  PG: Lonzo Ball
  SG: Josh Hart
  SF: Brandon Ingram
  PF: LeBron James
  CE: DeMarcus Cousins

  In other words, maybe the Lakers don’t pursue Kawhi because of position even though he is probably the best player.

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    DJ2KB24 4:30 PM on August 20, 2018 Permalink

    Will be a good season to see who can play or not. Can Ingy step up, can KL get through a season, will Cuz be able to be Cuz? We shall see.

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  Michael H (Editor) 6:10 PM on August 20, 2018 Permalink

  I think the Lakers have completely bought into positionless basketball. 5 guys that can switch everything and play make. Brandon and Kawhi would be perfect compliments to Lebron. And when they go small you move Lebron to the 5 and plug in Kuz. Kawhi played one through 4 with the Spurs. Pop even played him at the point on occasion as did Brandon. And Luke didn’t hesitate to put BI on the other teams most dangerous player in crunch time regardless of position and considering he was only 20 that’s quite a compliment. I think that would be a sensational line up with Lonzo as the shortest guy at 6’ 6”. That present a lot of match up problems for teams.

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    LakerTom (Publisher) 7:04 PM on August 20, 2018 Permalink

    I still worry about the fit of Kawhi with LeBron and Brandon. My point really wasn’t to throw shade on Brandon but he’s not a good fit at the 2. KCP and Hart are much better fits. I like Ingram at the 3 and LeBron at the 4 and I guess Kawhi could play the 2, although it will take a lot out of him. The question is whether position should now come into play next summer in whom we sign.

    KD is obviously my first choice but not on a short-term deal if Klay were available for a long term deal. I think after 4 rings in 5 years as third wheel, he might be ready to move and would be the man once LeBron retired. He could be next in line after Kobe and LeBron. That could be very tempting for Klay next summer. Otherwise, maybe Boogie is the right answer because it would not limit Ingram’s potential. Or Kuzma’s, Hart’s, or Svi’s — all guys who can play the wing.

    We won’t have much money left after signing a second superstar but I could see a lineup of Ball, Hart, Ingram, James, and Cousins with a bench of Rondo, Svi, Kuzma, Beasley, and Wagner as a championship contending team that could contend well beyond LeBron James career.

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  MongoSlade 7:18 PM on August 20, 2018 Permalink

  “Positionless” basketball is a catchy moniker but it’s not really accurate; guys on the floor still have specific responsibilities that require specialized skillsets. Yeah…you CAN plug KD or BI or Kawhi into the 2 guard slot but is that the optimum place for them to be? Probably not. If it was then they already woulda been there. We’ve been so low the last 5 years that the goal has simply been to accumulate talent pretty much regardless of position. But we’re now at the point where it’s probably time to start fine-tuning this thing and putting guys where they’ll be most comfortable and the most productive.

  And didn’t I see somewhere today that Steph & Klay intend to be in The Bay for their entire careers?