Darvin Ham open to playing LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Thomas Bryant in front court
LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham recently presented the possibility of Anthony Davis playing alongside Thomas Bryant and LeBron James in the frontcourt. With solid talent at their disposal, Ham is keen to take a hard look at the possible rotation.
The Purple and Gold have long expressed their plans to play Anthony Davis at the five. While Davis isn't a bonafide seven-footer, he remains one of the best big men in the game when fit.
By virtue of his wide frame and wingspan, Davis is able to dominate in the lowpost by combining his build with his impressive athleticism. This combination also makes him immensely versatile on both ends of the floor.
Unfortunately, as good as AD is while playing the five, he has become extremely susceptible to injuries. This has been seen time and time again and continues to be a pattern.
The Lakers, in this regard, haven't had as much flexibility with their big-man rotation in the last few years. In their championship season, the Purple and Gold had the pairing of Javale McGee and Dwight Howard to stagger Davis' minutes as a center. Sadly, the Lakeshow haven't been able to implement this strategy as well since.
However, over the course of the last few games, the Lakers may have found themselves an avenue to explore by having Anthony Davis play the four. With Thomas Bryant emerging as a reliable piece on the roster, Ham may enjoy some flexibility.
Darvin Ham mentioned that he was taking the option of having AD, Bryant and LeBron fill out the frontcourt into serious consideration. As per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, Ham said:
"Absolutely. I mean, the way A.D. is able to function out on the perimeter, we don’t want him to be too far on that side. We want him to have a happy balance. But definitely.
"They’re all very highly-skilled players – Bron, A.D., Thomas. They all can score at all three levels. They all can defend. They all can have good activity, good instincts. So, yeah, that’s something we’ll definitely take a look at."
Darvin Ham says he will take hard look at using LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Thomas Bryant in frontcourt: lakersdaily.com/darvin-ham-say…
Thomas Bryant's contributions as the Lakers' stand-in center have been spectacular. Having earned LeBron James' seal of approval as well, Thomas Bryant continues to impress.
Although AD remains sidelined with an injury, he is expected to return to action soon. With the Lakers patiently awaiting their star's return, they will also hope to shake things up with some new combinations.
A big man pairing of Anthony Davis and Thomas Bryant makes sense
The concept of having Anthony Davis play the four with Thomas Bryant at five seems interesting primarily because it could work.
LeBron James and Davis have established chemistry at this point and James' versatility allows him to be relevant anywhere on the court. But Davis and Bryant counter each other beautifully.
Anthony Davis has a tendency to stray out towards the perimeter. Often settling for fadeaways in the midrange, Davis would be better served to do this while Bryant takes over the task of following up on rebounds. Bryant has also been spectacular on the rebounding glass while being efficient as a finisher on the inside.
In this regard, the pairing works. With Davis' health being the only questionable piece, the Lakers will hope to see their big man return to action soon.