The Miami Heat made the decision in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to play Bam Adebayo as their only big man and then fill the rest of their rotation with perimeter players. It appears that the Los Angeles Lakers have followed suit.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on Sunday afternoon that Frank Vogel will make a change to the starting lineup, swapping guard Alex Caruso for center Dwight Howard, pushing Anthony Davis to the center position. The decision to go smaller is interesting, considering the Lakers have had an advantage on the boards over the first five games of the series. The Heat, however, have done a better job of minimizing that advantage over the past three games.
JUST IN: Lakers planning to make a starting lineup change: Alex Caruso in place of Dwight Howard, reports our NBA Insider @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/IwT2A6Y69C
— Stadium (@Stadium) October 11, 2020
However, while Caruso might not be as disruptive a force at the rim or on the glass, he is a better perimeter defender and he’s a great weapon in transition for LeBron James with his versatility to cut, shoot or make a play for someone else.
