On February 2, Beijing time, the Lakers conducted team training. For the Lakers, it is not easy to have a complete training, because the Overall Age of the Lakers' lineup is older, and the Lakers' full team training this season is actually very small. After the training, Lakers head coach Vogel was interviewed by reporters and talked about the Lakers' lineup.
In the interview, Vogel was asked why the small lineup was used. Vogel admitted that the overall rotation of the Lakers will be biased towards a small lineup. Vogel also explained the reasons, mainly with 2 points.
Point 1: Vogel didn't think the Lakers' big lineup could win the game, and the Lakers understood that at the beginning of the season. Vogel said: "Our big squad is not capable of projection, not enough points, can't win games, we knew this at the beginning of the season..."
Point 2: The small lineup gives the Lakers enough space to make up for the lack of the defensive end of the small lineup through tactical execution and better defensive habits. Vogel said: "Using a small squad has always been a challenge... We try to send out a squad with as much space as possible and hopefully we can improve defensively – what is lacking on the defensive end can be compensated for by better tactical execution and better defensive habits..."
"Fat Ding Basketball" thinks that Vogel is very reasonable, and the use of small lineups is also a helpless move. The Lakers' big lineup does have a lot of flaws on the offensive end. The difficulties encountered by the Lakers this season actually have little to do with players such as James and Westbrook and head coach Vogel. The flawed lineup created by the Lakers management is the culprit.
Some fans said: Didn't McGee and Billy Biyombo of the Suns play like this? James's organizational ability is not lost to Paul, why can't he bring a big man? Fat Ding believes that this is because the Suns have 1 point the Lakers are really incomparable.
The Suns players, in addition to McGee and Billy Biyombo, have good projections! This is incomparable to the Lakers. Because the Suns forward and defender players can shoot, they will not clash with McGee and Biyombo in space when attacking. And the Lakers can't shoot, James is not particularly good at shooting, if you put a Howard who can't shoot on the court, how can this offense be played?