LeBron at center? Lakers considering it - but they shouldn't
LeBron James is the answer to nearly every question about the Los Angeles Lakers - except for who will man the middle.
The list of Lakers standing above 6-foot-9 is only three names deep: JaVale McGee, Ivica Zubac, and Mo Wagner. That's a 30-year-old backup, a third-year prospect with hardly a thousand minutes on his resume, and a rookie who had just 40 blocks in 107 collegiate games. At best, the trio can give a playoff-bound team 24 quality minutes.
It's no surprise, then, that one Lakers executive told Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report that he's excited to see James at center. Yet, while the concept of the Lakers fielding their own Death Lineup to rival the Golden State Warriors is a sexy one, asking James to spend significant time at the five is a bad idea, especially considering the physical demands of the position.
The 33-year-old spent the equivalent of the veteran's minimum on conditioning and recovery last season, and that figure will only climb if he spends more time wrestling with 7-footers. James boasts about pacing himself throughout the year, and that meant neglecting his defensive duties for a solid two months last season.
It's one thing to relax on the perimeter, but centers don't have this luxury. Not only does it cripple the defense when there's no help from the five, but those lapses tend to be glaring and obvious. Centers have to stay attentive and be willing to rotate, which were the two main knocks against James' defense during his time in Cleveland.
Last season offered numerous examples of James giving absolutely no effort. On the play below, he gets fooled by a basic back cut and simply stands there instead of closing out on 45 percent corner shooter Fred VanVleet. The supporting cast around him was awful, but James wasn't exactly blameless for Cleveland's 29th-ranked defense.
On the plus side, James can still hold his own in the post and affect shots. James hasn't averaged over a block per game since 2010, but a level of intimidation comes with trying to score against The King. Opponents shot 51 percent within 6 feet of the rim while being guarded by James, and he limited opponents to a laughable 0.47 points per possession on post-ups.
Not even Karl-Anthony Towns could bully James on the block:
James didn't give Towns an inch before ripping the rock out of his hands and forcing a jump ball. James holds his position well, he doesn't fall for fakes, and he's clever with his hands.
The Lakers will likely rely on switching to make up for their lack of size, similar to the way the Warriors operate when they go small. L.A. is stocked with long-limbed defenders like Lonzo Ball, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who should excel in this scheme. Ball and Rondo are also plus rebounders, which will come in handy when assignments inevitably get jumbled in a switching defense.
But again, it will take full commitment and effort on the part of James if he's cast in the role of Draymond Green. James is capable of making the same reads and the same stops, but Green is five years younger and gets to focus his attention and energy on defense, whereas James needs to be able to play both ends of the floor.
The solution on defense might be to overrun the opponent by having James roast slow-footed centers until they cry mercy. The Warriors basically drove fives into extinction with up-tempo play and shooting the lights out.
However, the Warriors succeed because they overwhelm opponents with shooters. Teams bench their centers against Golden State because Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant are threats to pull up from 35 feet, and centers usually can't extend the defense that far out. The Lakers aren't able to create that kind of fear.
For one thing, defenses can switch assignments by putting a wing on James while hiding their center on one of the Lakers' benign perimeter players. Teams will be comfortable gifting 10 feet of space for Rondo and Ball to launch jumpers while sending help on James' drives. Cleveland's supporting cast wasn't great, but at least they could space the floor.
Ball's inconsistent shot hurt the Lakers last season, and he won't have a chance to mitigate that weakness if James assumes most of Ball's playmaking duties. Teams started ignoring Ball's broken shot three games into his rookie season:
In this example, Jameer Nelson completely abandons him to double on the drive, and Ball rewards the decision by clanking a long-range attempt.
The Lakers can still do damage in transition with their young and athletic roster. Walton's teams have consistently looked to run hard off rebounds, Ball throws brilliant hit-ahead passes, and James is one of the most devastating finishers in NBA history. Los Angeles ranked sixth and third in pace over the last two seasons, and the Lakers will try to repeat that formula.
But James has never played on a team that finished higher than 12th in pace in his 15 seasons, and it's hard to envision that trend changing as he approaches his mid-30s. Those breathtaking full-court lobs from the Heat days are over; James is now playing the Dwyane Wade role of throwing touchdown passes instead of sprinting ahead and catching them.
In an ideal situation, James would only close games at center. These lineups can be devastating in five-minute bursts, especially if Walton can take the defense by surprise. But that's not an option with this limited roster, and as always, James will be expected to be the answer, even if this isn't his problem.