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Los Angeles Lakers: Why LA is the perfect team to play positionless

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 04: Brandon Ingram #14 steels the inbound ball from Cameron Reynolds #13 of the Sacramento Kings as rest of his teammates cheer on at end of the game at Staples Center on October 4, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 04: Brandon Ingram #14 steels the inbound ball from Cameron Reynolds #13 of the Sacramento Kings as rest of his teammates cheer on at end of the game at Staples Center on October 4, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

3. The Los Angeles Lakers’ tempo results in non-traditional positions

The Los Angeles Lakers are most likely going to be the most up-tempo team in the NBA this season. The Lakers were already one of the quickest teams in the league last season and added the NBA’s most dominant player in transition, LeBron James. That is a recipe for disaster for opposing teams.

Playing just at such a fast-paced tempo is not just coming off the end of defensive rebounds, it is pushing the ball up the court early in the shot clock and using great off-ball movement to create quick looks.

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This is what makes the Golden State Warriors so great and is the reason why at the beginning of every third quarter the team comes out and goes on a monster run. They play at a pace that is hard to keep up with and that allows them to get quick looks and stay in a groove.

JaVale McGee needs to get quicker at outlet passing (which is he not bad at) and the Lakers will be the perfect fastbreak team. Aside from that, the rest of the Lakers starting four are all viable options to start or end fastbreaks.

When it comes to pushing the ball up the court, the multiple facilitators are going to break the defense down and constantly find the open guy.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma will all be good spot-up shooters and have three-point danger as they come off high screens.

Slowing the tempo down, something that LeBron has had to do with the Cavaliers, creates more traditional positions and roles in the offense and defense. However, when the game is hectic and the Lakers keep coming at your throat, there is really going to be no individual position as they all bring a versatile skill-set to the table.

Next. Why Brandon Ingram will be an all-star. dark

Kyle Kuzma or Michael Beasley at center? Brandon Ingram needing to play emergency point guard? Not a problem, the Lakers can practically run any group on the court and be effective.

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