Early at the off-season, it was reported that the Lakers intend making superstar LeBron James their starting point guard
Now on the verge of the start of pre-season, it was reported Thursday that coach Frank Vogel practiced an end of game situation, in which LeBron James was the point guard, and his co-star Anthony Davis played at center. Davis said he is willing to play the center position, even after admitting he “don’t really like playing the five”.
Lakers’ closing lineup in this simulation consisted of LeBron James, Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Avery Bradly, and Anthony Davis. They faced the bench team that consisted of Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, Troy Daniels, Devontae Cook (who is on an Exhibit contract) and Dwight Howard.
The simulation consisted of a 99-96 score in favor of the bench with two minutes left. Lakers’ bench team ended up getting the victory after Rajon Rondo was fouled by LeBron James, earning the victory at the free-throw line.
This clearly is a work on progress, as potential third star Kyle Kuzma is unable to practice due to injury. But what we can certainly take from this practice is James being the true point guard he has been all of his careers, even if we aren’t used to calling him like that.
It’s no secret James loves to have the ball in his hands as the leader the offense, and now, it is time for James to unveil his natural ability as a playmaker.
It’s going to be interesting to see what will coach Frank Vogel decide, as he has many different lineup packages that he can test.
His mission throughout the season will be to find the pieces that best compliment James and Davis games, considering that James is now the primary playmaker on the team.
Featured Image: via NBA.com
