Lakers practice, Frank Vogel promised to experiment with his lineups throughout the preseason.
Well, after three games, we know Vogel meant what he said, as he used a different groups of starters in the first three games, with only foundational stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis a constant.
Since the players and coaches did not do media sessions while the Lakers and Nets were in China, we’ve yet to hear Vogel’s reflections upon the various units, but he’ll surely talk on Monday in advance of that evening’s game against GSW at Staples.
However, we did get to watch how the units played together. Below are a series of observations of each group in respective first quarters:This group shot out of an offseason cannon with some real gusto, immediately jumping all over the Warriors, and leading by as many as 18 points in the period. Davis was completely dominant (Vogel called him a “monster” after the game) right from the tip. He had 17 of LAL’s 33 points, on 7 of 11 FG’s, including three dunks, and he added seven boards. Bradley appeared a good fit in this group, able to focus on defending Stephen Curry, and tracking the star guard all over the court. With the presence of LeBron, you don’t need playmaking from the “PG” spot, and LeBron initiated much of the offense, totaling five dimes. McGee was active and effective on both ends, going for six points and six points, his three buckets (predictably) at the rim. It’s a luxury to have his length and explosiveness on the floor next to AD and LeBron, both of whom attract so much attention on offense that there’s always a lob opportunity on the weak side. Green had three FGA’s, all from 3, which is what LAL want. He made one, and was effective defensively chasing D’Angelo Russell (1 of 4 FG’s in the 1st) around.
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