Can you start LeBron/Vanderbilt/AD together?

[That_Casual]

Everyone knows what the issues have been the last 2 years before the trade deadline. One of them has been awful spacing and shooting. That’s changed a bit since the trade.

However, that’s been without Lebron so Troy Brown has been starting. And Troy has been a phenomenal three ball shooter for the Lakers. 16/34 games in 2023 he has went 50% or better from 3. He’s 45% this month, and was 38% last month.

He obviously isn’t even close to LeBron as a player… but as a floor spacer and 3 ball shooter he’s far superior. It’s probably the only aspect he’s better but we’ve seen that fit is so important.

LeBron clearly is the best player on the roster still so starts, my question is… can you really afford to start Vanderbilt as well? Vando has been so important to this team due to his brilliant defence, but what he doesn’t do is shoot the 3 or space the floor. AD can’t shoot the 3 to save his life either. And Bron is 30% from 3 this season and even at his usual level is a very average 3 ball shooter.

So can you really play these 3 together? Teams will just pack the paint and that’s been a major issue for so long for the Lakers. So do you have to drop Vando? But then the defence suffers.

How do the Lakers work this?

[scoobs07]

It is really not ideal, but if you are going to do this, you better make damn sure that you have two high percentage / high volume three-point shooters at the other two positions. Russell qualifies for one of those spots. Beasley normally would qualify for the other spot, but he has been struggling to the point where he had to be removed from the starting line-up. Then you have Reaves, who is high percentage this year, but has not shown to be a gravitational pulling type shooter in college, or in his rookie season. The kid is great, don't get me wrong, but he obviously excels at attacking and getting to the line. Why would you want to waste his skill, and use him as a spot-up shooter anyway? I think the Lakers like Vanderbilt as a perimeter defender, but yeah you are correct about the spacing issues. Ideally, you would hope Dlo/Beasley create enough spacing to make it work. I suppose you could go with a back court of Russell and Brown? Brown has been good from three, but I still don't know how real his shooting is, and how scared opponents are of him. It's a dilemma. The bench group would look solid though, with Shroeder/Reaves/Beasley/Hachimura. I think Ham should stop playing Shroeder so many minutes, as it does not help with the spacing. I tell you what though, they need to make the correct decision because they are running out of time to be doing experiments.

[dAdo dA dEvil]

If you start them with Reaves and DLo then this is possible. It may even be our best line up. Reaves and DLo are both good shooters. Offensively we'll be fine especially with Reaves handling the ball and making plays. DLo could make plays too so I think we'll be fine. On Defense we'll be better compared on our Offense. Vando and AD just need to focus on the offensive glass and take care of lobs and put backs while Reaves, DLo and Bron make plays and shoot.

[That_Casual]

If you start them with Reaves and DLo then this is possible. It may even be our best line up. Reaves and DLo are both good shooters. Offensively we'll be fine especially with Reaves handling the ball and making plays. DLo could make plays too so I think we'll be fine. On Defense we'll be better compared on our Offense. Vando and AD just need to focus on the offensive glass and take care of lobs and put backs while Reaves, DLo and Bron make plays and shoot.

Reaves gets most of his points driving in to the paint rather than spot up shooting like Troy or Beasley. If the paint is packed which it would be with Vando/Bron/AD on the team, then how does Reaves get his points?

[crazyeights]

Well so far that trio has played 48 minutes together over the course of 3 games. They had:

ORTG: 123.8
DRTG: 90.3
NET: 33.5

Small sample but it’s what we’ve got. And I’d say it looks really really good. Defensively they fit great together! Teams are gonna have trouble scoring. Vando is exactly the type of forward LBJ/AD pairing needed.

[stan francisco]

He’s the perfect complement. Add Reaves and Lonnie (or Troy) to that and we have a good starting lineup.

[That_Casual]

He’s the perfect complement. Add Reaves and Lonnie (or Troy) to that and we have a good starting lineup.

Neither Reaves or Lonnie are elite floor spacing 3 point snipers. Which is what you need if you’re other 3 starters are made up of one average 3 point shooter and two horrendous 3 point shooters.

[stan francisco]

Would you give the Ben Simmons treatment to LeBron, Davis, Reaves, Troy or Lonnie at the 3PT line?

[Noodlesoop]

Everyone knows what the issues have been the last 2 years before the trade deadline. One of them has been awful spacing and shooting. That’s changed a bit since the trade.

However, that’s been without Lebron so Troy Brown has been starting. And Troy has been a phenomenal three ball shooter for the Lakers. 16/34 games in 2023 he has went 50% or better from 3. He’s 45% this month, and was 38% last month.

He obviously isn’t even close to LeBron as a player… but as a floor spacer and 3 ball shooter he’s far superior. It’s probably the only aspect he’s better but we’ve seen that fit is so important.

LeBron clearly is the best player on the roster still so starts, my question is… can you really afford to start Vanderbilt as well? Vando has been so important to this team due to his brilliant defence, but what he doesn’t do is shoot the 3 or space the floor. AD can’t shoot the 3 to save his life either. And Bron is 30% from 3 this season and even at his usual level is a very average 3 ball shooter.

So can you really play these 3 together? Teams will just pack the paint and that’s been a major issue for so long for the Lakers. So do you have to drop Vando? But then the defence suffers.

How do the Lakers work this?

I know this is a down year for Lebron’s three point shot but there’s no way Troy is a better three point shooter.

Lebron’s 3s are much more difficult than Troy’s so you need to take all those other factors (nearest defender, time on shot clock, position on court, assisted/non-assisted etc) in to account.

So I think you’ve just got enough shooting in the front court as Lebron is still at least average for his position, AD can shoot from the midrange and then you need Vanderbilt to be active/cut off the ball to avoid clogging the lane.

D’Lo is borderline elite (statistically this season anyway) from three so that leaves the SG position. I’d personally give Beasley the job back as he’s gonna get better looks and feeds when Lebron is playing, just reduce his minutes if he’s cold and his below average defence is mitigated by the elite defensive front court.

I want Reaves to have the ball in his hands as the first option off the bench when Lebron rests, the less ball handling/passing Dennis has to do the better. I see Troy as Lebron’s back up, he’s too inconsistent as a starter (and can’t get hot like Beasley).

[AdonisDeMarion]

Just as long as we have shooting from the PG and SG then we will be fine

[That_Casual]

Would you give the Ben Simmons treatment to LeBron, Davis, Reaves, Troy or Lonnie at the 3PT line?

Yeah literally every team would stand off Davis from 3. He’s a 25% three point shooter, why the hell wouldn’t they?

And in the playoffs when tactics matter every team will absolutely say to a team where 3 of the starters are Vando/Davis/Bron go ahead and try beat us from 3, you ain’t getting in the paint. Why wouldn’t they?

[That_Casual]

Everyone knows what the issues have been the last 2 years before the trade deadline. One of them has been awful spacing and shooting. That’s changed a bit since the trade.

However, that’s been without Lebron so Troy Brown has been starting. And Troy has been a phenomenal three ball shooter for the Lakers. 16/34 games in 2023 he has went 50% or better from 3. He’s 45% this month, and was 38% last month.

He obviously isn’t even close to LeBron as a player… but as a floor spacer and 3 ball shooter he’s far superior. It’s probably the only aspect he’s better but we’ve seen that fit is so important.

LeBron clearly is the best player on the roster still so starts, my question is… can you really afford to start Vanderbilt as well? Vando has been so important to this team due to his brilliant defence, but what he doesn’t do is shoot the 3 or space the floor. AD can’t shoot the 3 to save his life either. And Bron is 30% from 3 this season and even at his usual level is a very average 3 ball shooter.

So can you really play these 3 together? Teams will just pack the paint and that’s been a major issue for so long for the Lakers. So do you have to drop Vando? But then the defence suffers.

How do the Lakers work this?

I know this is a down year for Lebron’s three point shot but there’s no way Troy is a better three point shooter.

Lebron’s 3s are much more difficult than Troy’s so you need to take all those other factors (nearest defender, time on shot clock, position on court, assisted/non-assisted etc) in to account.

So I think you’ve just got enough shooting in the front court as Lebron is still at least average for his position, AD can shoot from the midrange and then you need Vanderbilt to be active/cut off the ball to avoid clogging the lane.

D’Lo is borderline elite (statistically this season anyway) from three so that leaves the SG position. I’d personally give Beasley the job back as he’s gonna get better looks and feeds when Lebron is playing, just reduce his minutes if he’s cold and his below average defence is mitigated by the elite defensive front court.

I want Reaves to have the ball in his hands as the first option off the bench when Lebron rests, the less ball handling/passing Dennis has to do the better. I see Troy as Lebron’s back up, he’s too inconsistent as a starter (and can’t get hot like Beasley).

Troy is absolutely a better 3 point shooter. He literally averages a better % from 3 for a career. And this calendar year has shot 50% or better in 16/35 games.

To say Troy can’t get hot like Beasley is wild. This month alone he’s went 4/7 twice and 4/8 once. If he was given the freedom to jack up 12 a game like Beasley i’ve no doubt he’d have a 7/12 game.

[stan francisco]

Would you give the Ben Simmons treatment to LeBron, Davis, Reaves, Troy or Lonnie at the 3PT line?

Yeah literally every team would stand off Davis from 3. He’s a 25% three point shooter, why the hell wouldn’t they?

And in the playoffs when tactics matter every team will absolutely say to a team where 3 of the starters are Vando/Davis/Bron go ahead and try beat us from 3, you ain’t getting in the paint. Why wouldn’t they?

Cherry picking, eh?

Ok. You’d be the only NBA coach to do so.

Who made the most pivotal game winning three in 2020 playoffs…? AD. They won’t leave him open. Plus he’s the center, not to worry. LBJ, Reaves, Lonnie, Brown, etc won’t be left open either. An extra pass and Vando or AD or Reaves or Brown or Bron will slash to the hoop.

Our problems are defensive problems. We have all the offense one needs for rings.

[Noodlesoop]

Everyone knows what the issues have been the last 2 years before the trade deadline. One of them has been awful spacing and shooting. That’s changed a bit since the trade.

However, that’s been without Lebron so Troy Brown has been starting. And Troy has been a phenomenal three ball shooter for the Lakers. 16/34 games in 2023 he has went 50% or better from 3. He’s 45% this month, and was 38% last month.

He obviously isn’t even close to LeBron as a player… but as a floor spacer and 3 ball shooter he’s far superior. It’s probably the only aspect he’s better but we’ve seen that fit is so important.

LeBron clearly is the best player on the roster still so starts, my question is… can you really afford to start Vanderbilt as well? Vando has been so important to this team due to his brilliant defence, but what he doesn’t do is shoot the 3 or space the floor. AD can’t shoot the 3 to save his life either. And Bron is 30% from 3 this season and even at his usual level is a very average 3 ball shooter.

So can you really play these 3 together? Teams will just pack the paint and that’s been a major issue for so long for the Lakers. So do you have to drop Vando? But then the defence suffers.

How do the Lakers work this?

I know this is a down year for Lebron’s three point shot but there’s no way Troy is a better three point shooter.

Lebron’s 3s are much more difficult than Troy’s so you need to take all those other factors (nearest defender, time on shot clock, position on court, assisted/non-assisted etc) in to account.

So I think you’ve just got enough shooting in the front court as Lebron is still at least average for his position, AD can shoot from the midrange and then you need Vanderbilt to be active/cut off the ball to avoid clogging the lane.

D’Lo is borderline elite (statistically this season anyway) from three so that leaves the SG position. I’d personally give Beasley the job back as he’s gonna get better looks and feeds when Lebron is playing, just reduce his minutes if he’s cold and his below average defence is mitigated by the elite defensive front court.

I want Reaves to have the ball in his hands as the first option off the bench when Lebron rests, the less ball handling/passing Dennis has to do the better. I see Troy as Lebron’s back up, he’s too inconsistent as a starter (and can’t get hot like Beasley).

Troy is absolutely a better 3 point shooter. He literally averages a better % from 3 for a career. And this calendar year has shot 50% or better in 16/35 games.

To say Troy can’t get hot like Beasley is wild. This month alone he’s went 4/7 twice and 4/8 once. If he was given the freedom to jack up 12 a game like Beasley i’ve no doubt he’d have a 7/12 game.

Troy averages 6.6 points and 2.4 three point attempts for his career. To compare that to Lebron and what he has to do is not a relevant comparison. Based on your argument, the vast majority of the league is a better shooter than Lebron even though they hardly score or play meaningful minutes. And quoting him making four three points in a few games is nothing compared to Beasley’s ability to make 7 in a half.

If Troy is such a great shooter then why is he on a minimum contract? Nobody in the league seems to agree with you (even though I admit he’s due a pay rise but it won’t be close to Beasley’s contract).

[dAdo dA dEvil]

If you start them with Reaves and DLo then this is possible. It may even be our best line up. Reaves and DLo are both good shooters. Offensively we'll be fine especially with Reaves handling the ball and making plays. DLo could make plays too so I think we'll be fine. On Defense we'll be better compared on our Offense. Vando and AD just need to focus on the offensive glass and take care of lobs and put backs while Reaves, DLo and Bron make plays and shoot.

Reaves gets most of his points driving in to the paint rather than spot up shooting like Troy or Beasley. If the paint is packed which it would be with Vando/Bron/AD on the team, then how does Reaves get his points?

Reaves is also good off the ball. He doesn't need to just spot up and shoot. He can make plays or make cuts. He knows how to make the right plays so it is not just about getting points. Austin can distribute the ball. He also knows how to hustle as well both on defense and occasionally grabbing offensive rebounds.

[DanishLakerFan]

Everyone knows what the issues have been the last 2 years before the trade deadline. One of them has been awful spacing and shooting. That’s changed a bit since the trade.

However, that’s been without Lebron so Troy Brown has been starting. And Troy has been a phenomenal three ball shooter for the Lakers. 16/34 games in 2023 he has went 50% or better from 3. He’s 45% this month, and was 38% last month.

He obviously isn’t even close to LeBron as a player… but as a floor spacer and 3 ball shooter he’s far superior. It’s probably the only aspect he’s better but we’ve seen that fit is so important.

LeBron clearly is the best player on the roster still so starts, my question is… can you really afford to start Vanderbilt as well? Vando has been so important to this team due to his brilliant defence, but what he doesn’t do is shoot the 3 or space the floor. AD can’t shoot the 3 to save his life either. And Bron is 30% from 3 this season and even at his usual level is a very average 3 ball shooter.

So can you really play these 3 together? Teams will just pack the paint and that’s been a major issue for so long for the Lakers. So do you have to drop Vando? But then the defence suffers.

How do the Lakers work this?

I think you can go with Vando in the starting lineup becuase he’s still finding ways to contribute offensively and he’s so good defensively that its worth it.
I think a bigger issue is the lack of depth at the 5.
You can basically roll with any combination of guards (D'Lo, Reaves, Beasley, Schroeder and Lonnie), any combination of wings (Lebron, Vando, Rui and Troy), but at the 5 the drop from AD to Gabriel is massive.