When I first saw the notification that Kawhi Lenoard signed with the Clippers, I initially thought that the Lakers dug themselves in a deep hole for at least a year. They had $32 million in cap space to divide up to give to some of the best role players to put around LeBron James and Anthony Davis to create a deep team. Instead, they pursed the reigning Finals MVP as anyone would. Who wouldn’t want to pair three of the top seven best players in the world?
However, if they didn’t get Kawhi, the Lakers couldn’t go back to day one of free agency and do it all over again. Because they waited, they missed out on signing most of the mid-level free agents.
Surprisingly, the purple and gold climbed out of the hole. Immediately after Kawhi’s decision, the Lakers made many moves to make up for their loss. They signed nice players like Danny Green, DeMarcus Cousins, and Avery Bradley while also running it back with guys like Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee. To me, the Lakers have a deeper team than many people are giving them credit for.
Now, with the Lakers’ free agency acquisitions in mind, I tried to put together what I thought their starting lineup should be. At first, I thought it was quite simple.
The dream lineup for the Lakers would be:
PG: LeBron James, SG: Danny Green, SF: Kyle Kuzma, PF: Anthony Davis, C: DeMarcus Cousins
On paper, that dream lineup looks great. There’s spacing, LeBron is finally listed as the position of his dreams, and the duo of Davis and Cousins is back together again to dominate opposing frontcourts.
However, I ran into some conflict when it came to the matchups defensively for the team.
If LeBron is going to play point guard, then who’ll guard the point? Definitely not year-17 LeBron. Green is a great two-way player who’s good at defending on the wing but not the opponent’s point guard. Kuzma isn’t the best defender in general, so it wouldn’t be an option to have him chase around Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving on a nightly basis.
To solve this problem, the Lakers would have to insert a guy like Avery Bradley into the starting rotation. Bradley can matchup against the opposing point guard, allowing other players who are incapable to relax. However, this means that someone from the first lineup draft will have to be sent to the bench.
The guy I would choose would be DMC. This is for a variety of reasons. Green complements the King’s game very well. Kuzma proved last season that he could run with James. And, judging by his health circumstances, playing starting minutes might not be the best for Cousins yet.
The lineup now would be:
PG: LeBron James, SG: Avery Bradley, SF: Danny Green, PF: Kyle Kuzma, C: Anthony Davis
Unfortunately, this lineup has a problem as well.
The problem at hand is that Davis has expressed his dislike of playing center. I’m guessing that the Lakers would prefer that Davis would run the five due to most teams running small-ball lineups. However, if I’m the Lakers, I wouldn’t force him to play that role. “The Brow” will, most likely, re-sign with the “Lake Show” anyway, but I wouldn’t take any chances making him unhappy.
Thankfully, Davis recently stated that he’d play center when it’s necessary. He should only play center if the lineup is like my second draft. That lineup would only be used to close games because, as I said before, I wouldn’t force AD to play where he doesn’t want.
The lineup to start the game would be:
PG: LeBron James, SG: Avery Bradley, SF: Danny Green, PF: Anthony Davis, C: DeMarcus Cousins
My third and final starting lineup isn’t the most talented, but it’s the best. LeBron is the point guard, two 3-and-D players who can elevate his game, Davis gets to play the position he likes, and if Cousins can get himself right, the Lakers would be an unstoppable force.
You’re probably wondering, where is Kuz? He’s clearly the Lakers’ third-best player since Boogie Cousins isn’t yet back into prime shape. Most people would think that he has a clear spot in the starting rotation. However, like I’ve stated previously, with players preferred positions and defensive matchups in mind, Kuzma’s best fit is as the sixth man.
Off the bench, Kuzma will benefit more than he would be while starting because he’d get more touches. Last season, he averaged 18.7 PPG on 45.6% from the field. If he comes off the bench, his numbers will be relatively the same. Instead of being the forgotten third guy in the big three, Kuzma will be the leader of the Lakers’ bench. Also, he’ll play around 28 minutes a night and will still be closing games.
Matchups and player preferences aside, if Kuzma is in the starting rotation, the Lakers are my clear favorites to beat any team in a seven-game series but one. That one team is the organization next door.
I’m unsure of which team has the better starting lineup. What’s evident, though, is that the Clippers have one of the best second-units in league with a pure scorer to lead them. If Kuzma is starting, then it’s unclear who the sixth man is for the Lakers.
Is it Rondo? No, he isn’t a scorer, and he’s past his prime. Is it Cousins? Maybe, but we don’t know if he’s back to the old Boogie we all know and love. Is it KCP or JaVale? Heck no!
That’s why Kyle Kuzma must be the Lakers’ sixth man. They need him to be like Lou Williams. They need a guy who can keep the game in control with their scoring ability and leadership, especially when competing against the other team in L.A. If the Lakers don’t have that, then they’ll be outmatched.
Final Thoughts
Kyle Kuzma is a good player with All-Star potential written all over him. His unique talent is good enough to be a starter on any team in the NBA. However, in the context of the Lakers’ current roster situation, he doesn’t fit. Luckily for Kuz, him being the sixth man is actually a need for the team. The team needs an automatic double-digit scorer who can lead the second-unit in battles against the best out there. If he can be the man, then the Lakers will hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy next summer.
Disagree with my take? Feel free to hit me up on Twitter or Instagram.