Now that the 2014-15 NBA season is a quarter of the way through and the Los Angeles Lakers have stumbled through it at 5-15, head coach Byron Scott has made it clear that some changes will be made to the Lakers starting lineup.
This is something fans have been waiting to see for a while, but now the question becomes what move, or moves, should Scott make? Ed Davis for Carlos Boozer has been the popular opinion amongst most fans, but I’m not sure that’s the best move to make, at least by itself.
Contrary to popular belief, the lineup of Davis with the rest of the starters has not performed well this season. Despite posting a slightly better offensive rating (104.2 to 102.7) than the current starting lineup, the defensive rating is seven points worse. Additionally, assists and rebounds are down, and turnovers are up with this lineup.
There are some explanations for this as Davis and Hill together don’t provide the same spacing since Boozer is a much better outside shooter than Davis. Davis also pushes Hill away from the basket which impacts the rebounding.
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Defensively, Davis is the best big man defender on the team, but he has his flaws as well. He can tend to chase blocks which allows layups on offensive rebounds and he is extremely foul prone, leading to free throws for the opposition.
Davis and Nick Young with Lin, Kobe and Hill has actually been even worse than that, posting an abysmal 83.3 offensive rating and an even worse 134.4 defensive rating.
These have been two of the most used five-man units for the Lakers this season, and they have not been good. Making either of those moves may not produce the results fans are hoping for. However, there is one name that hasn’t been mentioned nearly enough when talking about changes to the starting lineup.
[divide]NBA Record: Kobe Bryant First With 6,000 Assists And 30,000 Points
CONTINUE READING: Lakers’ Wayne Ellington Should Be Inserted Into The Starting Lineup
That man is Wayne Ellington.
The individual numbers on Ellington have been outstanding in limited minutes so far this season. He is averaging 7.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in only 17 minutes, but his efficiency has been outstanding as he is second on the team in both true shooting percentage (59.6) and effective field goal percentage (59.1).
His three point shooting has been fantastic at 39.4 percent and he contributes on the glass as well. He has the highest rebounding percentage of any wing player on the Lakers.
His presence in the starting lineup would provide much needed spacing for Kobe Bryant and Jeremy Lin when they attack. Ellington taking the corner threes that Johnson gets is a much better proposition for the Lakers offense, and the tradeoff on defense is minimal at best.
For all of his physical attributes, Johnson has been anything but a lockdown defender. He made an excellent play on James Harden in Houston, but there haven’t been very many like it. He is a master at getting his hand on the ball, but he is awful at actually catching it and turning it into a turnover.
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Ellington being inserted would likely force Kobe to move to the small forward position, but Bryant is more likely to be successful guarding bigger guys than quick guards anyway.
The move of Ellington into the starting lineup also keeps Nick Young in his best spot, as the sixth man, and Johnson being a part of the second unit that gets up and down the floor a little more might be a better fit for him as well.
Interestingly enough, Davis replacing Jordan Hill instead of Boozer has actually yielded impressive results as far as numbers are concerned, and maybe that will be explored as well. Ronnie Price for Jeremy Lin is sure to be explored as well.
Wayne Ellington has more than earned his shot to be a starter. The numbers have been there, he consistently stands out when he is on the floor, and he provides an offensive spark that the Lakers need.
There may well be other moves made, but Wayne Ellington into the starting lineup should be the first one.
[divide]NBA Record: Kobe Bryant First With 6,000 Assists And 30,000 Points