Getty Los Angeles Lakers teammates LeBron James and Brandon Ingram
Before the 2018-19 NBA season, there was chatter about a potential “death lineup” for the Los Angeles Lakers. This came after the signing of LeBron James and has changed just a bit since the projection of how the original lineup would look. But on Friday night, Lakers fans may get to see a starting group which is a modified version of it.
Before the year, it was believed the group would feature LeBron James at center, along with Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball. Then there was chatter of Kuzma playing center and Hart’s playing time began taking a hit as the season rolled on. To top it all off, Lonzo Ball’s ankle injury seemingly derailed the hopes of Luke Walton starting the ultimate small-ball lineup.
Last game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers opted to give the small-ball starting group a try and it worked, as they picked up a much-needed 125-119 win. Now, the team is expected to roll out the same group against the Bucks, a game which will be a major test.
Lakers Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Bucks
*Notates starter
C: Kyle Kuzma*, JaVale McGee, Tyson Chandler
PF: LeBron James*, Mike Muscala, Moritz Wagner
SF: Brandon Ingram*, Lance Stephenson, Josh Hart
SG: Reggie Bullock*, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
PG: Rajon Rondo*, Alex Caruso, Isaac Bonga
It’s strange to even see Kuzma listed at center, and while this isn’t quite the projected lineup from the start of the year, it’s still a strong group. The addition of Reggie Bullock prior to the trade deadline has provided some additional outside shooting which has been welcomed. Beyond that, the recent change moved Rajon Rondo back into the first five while sending JaVale McGee to the bench.
In the Lakers’ first game rolling this core out as the starting group, LeBron wrapped up the night with 33 points, 10 assists and six rebounds while each member of the unit scored in double figures. Rondo’s return to the first five was successful, as he tallied 11 points, 16 assists and seven rebounds. Ingram (23 points), Kuzma (22) and Bullock (14) rounded out the scoring for the starters while McGee totaled 10 points off the bench.
Lance Stephenson’s Expanded Role in New Lineup
While Stephenson has seen decent minutes and a solid role for a fair amount of the current season, he was a key player off the bench against the Pelicans. Stephenson logged nearly double the minutes (21) of the next closest Laker in that game, as McGee saw 11 minutes and Hart logged 10. He wrapped up the night with nine points, five rebounds and three assists.
This came just two days after a game against the Memphis Grizzlies in which Stephenson played just three minutes when the Lakers used their former starting lineup. If the new gameplan by Walton includes a decent role for Stephenson, he has the playmaking ability to become a key contributor off the bench and can play a number of positions. Stephenson does enter this game listed as questionable, so his status will be worth monitoring.
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