FanPost

Now that the dust has (mostly) settled...

Current Roster (including 2-ways)

1) Rondo/Cook/Obi Wan Caruso/Norvell, Jr.
2) Green/KCP/Daniels/THT
3) LBJ/Dudley
4) AD/Kuzma
5) Cousins/McGee/Williams

8-man rotation:
1) Rondo/Cook
2) Green/KCP
3) LBJ
4) AD/Kuzma
5) Cousins

Small lineup:
1) Cook
2) Green
3) LBJ
4) Kuzma
5) AD

Spacing lineup:
1) Daniels
2) Green
3) LBJ
4) Kuzma
5) AD

Defensive Lineup:
1) Rondo
2) Green
3) LBJ
4) AD
5) McGee

Big lineup:
1) Obi Wan
2) Green
3) LBJ
4) AD
5) Cousins

Garbage Time Lineup:
1) Obi Wan (or Norvell Jr)
2) THT
3) Dudley
4) Kuzma
5) McGee


Keys:
Vogel - pretty sure he will be the key to this season - if he can get fools on the same page quickly, the Lakers should compete for a top-4 seed. If he can't, they will likely fall into that nebulous 5th-9th range and may not have time to climb back into the top-4. Managing minutes will be huge -- there's a pretty big gap between the top-4 players (AD, LBJ, Kuzma, Green) and everybody else. Vogel will be challenged to not rely on them too much and take advantage of matchups.

Training Staff - One star is 34 and the other has averaged 68 games a season (when he wasn't being held out for trades). Obviously, there's only so much you can do about injuries, but the Lakers can ill afford to lose either for any significant period of time.


Question Marks:
Cousins - no offense to McGee, but let's hope he's not starting by seasons end. If McGee is, then Cousins is done. If McGee isn't, the Lakers will be getting GREAT value from Cousins.

Quinn Cook & Obi Wan Caruso - they will never get a better opportunity to establish themselves as NBA starters...but are they up to the task? Like Cousins, this is a potential value position.

KCP & Daniels - there are only so many minutes at the SG. Even if Green moves to SF for certain lineups...somebody may find themselves sitting.

Rondo - looked pretty old last year, but, unless/until Cook or Obi Wan steps it up, he has to be the favorite to start.