The data confirms the effect of the Lakers' five small lineups Zhan Huang playing center can bring the team back to life?

Will James' role as center be the Lakers' way out? The US media "Dailynews" listed the data, James partner Anthony's interior combination is better, and the five small lineup may become the key to the team's survival.

Plagued by injuries and chemistry, the Lakers have used a total of 20 different starting lineups this season, and after the thick-browed brother was injured, they finally found something that could support them through the difficult situation without eyebrows.

In recent times, the Lakers have twice used James to play as a starting center, and the pure five small lineup has also brought a rare vitality to the team, and in the absence of a traditional center, this lineup has brought the team a 2-0 record.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel admitted in an interview that a large part of the reason why the five-small lineup is amazing is that James's performance exceeded his imagination. In the previous game against the Blazers, James scored 43 points, 14 rebounds, and 0 turnovers in the whole game, which is just one of his incredible performances, and LeBron has won 30+ in seven consecutive games, the longest record since 2013.

In Vogel's view, James playing center makes the game easy, LeBron playing in a no-ball state also improves his offensive efficiency to a certain extent, making his scoring more simple, with the increase in space, James's deterrent power is everywhere, he can suddenly cast cold arrows on the outside, and he can also cut into the basket to complete the basket.

At the other end, James and his team are also working hard, the 2m 03 LeBron is still an effective basket protector, he has averaged more than 1 block per game this season, and James's communication skills on the defensive end can also help the team organize an effective defense.

According to data provided by the data website Cleaning the Glass, when the thick eyebrow brother and Jordan Jr. or Howard are not present, the Lakers have a plus-minus of +2.5, while the duo of James and Anthony is as high as +5, and although the Lakers currently concede 110 points per 100 rounds, they have enough reason to believe that the team's defense can get better.

On the offensive end, the benefits of the five-small lineup are obvious, the Lakers have scored 107.3 points per hundred rounds this season, ranking 24th in the league, but when using the five-small lineup, they can get 112.4 points per hundred possessions, which not only allows the shooter group to get shooting opportunities, James and Westbrook also have room to break through.

It's similar to the Rockets' strategy for the 2019-20 season, in which they traded center Capela to make room for Westbrook to break through and activate the all-five squad.

While Westbrook didn't address such a topic bluntly, he admitted he liked the team's current space. "Hopefully we can keep that space." "It allows us to create enough empty shots," Westbrook said. ”

The Lakers' five-small lineup involves a key figure , Stanley Johnson, who is about to end his 10-day contract, and since the Lakers currently have only one person in a health and safety agreement, they can no longer use the difficult exception to sign a second 10-day short contract with Johnson. If Rondo's deal ultimately passes, the Lakers could cut Valentine, who he had just bought, to make room for Johnson.

In the last four games, the 25-year-old Stanley Johnson has averaged 8.3 points and 3 rebounds per game, and the Lakers also value his defensive ability and his role as the number four to unlock the small lineup.

Vogel was also deeply impressed by Stanley Johnson's performance. "One of the things I like about him is that his physical fitness is amazing, he's not only fast, he's physically strong." Vogel said.

After finding inspiration through the pure five-small lineup, the Lakers may continue such a strategy, which may also become the key to their turnaround of the season.