The Los Angeles Lakers are a team in transition with first-round picks Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell regarded as the future of the franchise while veteran Kobe Bryant remains the face of the franchise right now. The Lakers missed on a number of big name free agents over the summer and settled for Roy Hibbert, Brandon Bass and Lou Williams as their offseason haul, and while they might not be an NBA title contender, there is no doubt the club wants to try to make the playoffs this season.
One of the most interesting storylines heading in to the year is the return of Kobe Bryant, who will be 37 years old when the season gets underway, has spent his NBA career carving his place in basketball history as one of the most dominant shooting guards of all time. However, there has been talk about the possibility of a position change with head coach Byron Scott revealing he is likely to play the power forward position at times this season. It’s unlikely Kobe will permanently move to the four spot but is it a good idea for him to play any minutes at all at the power forward position? Let’s take a closer look:
The Good: Lakers Have Guard Depth
There is no doubt about Kobe’s intensity as a player and his desire to do whatever it takes to win, so in terms of his compete level, he should be able to hold down the position in spurts. Kobe is listed at only 6’6’’ and 212 pounds but the small-ball enthusiasts will argue that the Lakers would be at their best if they used a smaller lineup where they can get as many skilled shooters as possible on the floor.
Kobe would undoubtedly be able to stretch the floor at the four spot and if he did it well enough, it would force the hand of opponents in terms of going smaller in order to defend him. Los Angeles has a decent stable of guards that could play the shooting guard position including Nick Young, Lou Williams and even Jordan Clarkson. That means they can move Kobe to the four and fill the two and three with a couple of the aforementioned players. It’s not a long-term solution but it could get the Lakers best players on the court at once.
The Bad: Bryant’s Body Won’t Hold Up
While there is no doubt that Kobe can play the four spot against smaller opponents, there are serious question marks about whether the move would make sense at this point in his career. Kobe will be 37 years old and considering he has been limited to just 41 total games over the last two seasons – combined a move to a position he hasn’t played where there would be a tougher physical toll on his body – it just doesn’t seem to make sense. Kobe might be able to hold his own in spurts against guys like Draymond Green Josh Smith, but he won’t be able to match up defensively on players like Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge and Zach Randolph. The Lakers have their 2014 first-round pick Randle as well as Bass at the power forward position. Kobe will be spent if he to guard bigs like that.
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The Verdict: It Could Work In Spurts
The Lakers are coming off a 21-win season but they will add Kobe, Randle, Russell, Hibbert, Bass and Williams to this year’s roster, so the potential for improvement is there. The challenge is that the situation is desperate in La-La Land as the Lakers want to make something of the final years of Kobe’s career but they just don’t have a championship roster. Desperation will lead to use Bryant at the power forward position at times and that’s not the worst idea. We’ve heard of teams like the Indiana Pacers planning to do the same with Paul George and we’ve seen the trend of small-ball make its way across the NBA. However, the Lakers better be careful not to overuse this setup as Bryant’s frail body will get banged up.
