Rearrange our starting five?

[Real Deal]

We're in the second half of the season, and I'm starting to think we should rearrange our starting five, not for the sake of us winning the West (because we can lock that up with our current starters), but in the best interest of our team as they make their third consecutive NBA Finals trip.

 

Assuming we don't bring in someone like Hinrich (who we need desperately), why not bring both Bynum and Fisher off the bench?

 

C - Pau Gasol

PF - Lamar Odom

SF - Ron Artest

SG - Kobe Bryant

PG - Jordan Farmar

 

Three things...

 

1) Odom can be an amazing player. After being one of his biggest critics a few years ago, he has accepted a bench role and is playing better defense. I think he deserves to start in our five because of it.

 

2) Fisher is a liability. I don't care what anyone else says or thinks. Giving him a bench role keeps him involved as a leader, and keeps his legs fresh against the less talented bench from the opposing team.

 

3) Bynum is quicksand. That ball doesn't come back out of the post much when it's dropped in his hands. Therefore, why not bring him off the bench and give him an opportunity to play with less scorers on the floor? Don't forget that we were in the Finals without him in 2008, and he was a fifth or sixth option for us in the 2009 Finals as well, when we won it all.

 

Phil claims the guys are wearing down. We are only 53 games in. I'm not sure if we have the goods to beat Cleveland in the Finals, either, especially if they have home court (and it's looking like they will get it).

 

If we don't make a trade before the deadline, would you welcome a lineup change?

[Sky]

I'd welcome any change that cuts Fisher's minutes under 20 but I don't see Jackson agreeing to it.

 

Odom has played great without Kobe but LO typically responds without Kobe. He plays with a sense of urgency and takes it upon himself to be more aggressive. Alas that player doesn't show up as often when Bryant is on the floor.

 

Bynum will just pout if he's benched and you already have a very immature 'touches are my defensive engine' 22 year old. Bench him and his defense goes further south, me first turns into poor me, downward spiral.

 

Fisher starts mainly because he keeps the triangle on the rails but also because an old guy is best served by starting each half since he's warmed up. Fisher cold off the bench will need to develop a rhythm, he'll force even more ill-advised finishes to try to find that rhythm.

 

I think it may be possible for Farmar to start a few games as a means of resting Fisher in the second half of the season, but that would likely be it.

[The Regime]

I could care less about Bynum pouting about coming off the bench, this should teach him a lesson and hopefully he can learn and grow from it. As of right now, Bynum surely gives us a physical presence on defense but on offense he is a ballhog. If we start Odom atleast we'll get a unselfish player in our lineup whose versatily cause alot of matchup problems for other teams.

 

As for Fisher, I could care less who starts in his place. They cant be worse.