How Can the Los Angeles Lakers Best Use Their Frontcourt Depth in 2014?

Following their worst season in franchise history, the Los Angeles Lakers went all in this summer with multiple signings of big men they hope will shore up what can only be described as a Swiss cheese defense.

Can you blame them?

The rudderless Lakers, 27-55 under former coach Mike D’Antoni, avoided rebounding and overall defense as if it were root canal surgery.  If Staples Center had been a freeway, we’d all have wanted to drive it because lanes were generally wide open.

Among such frontcourt players as Pau Gasol, Robert Sacre, Jordan Hill and Chris Kaman, it seemed that only Hill relished mixing it up and fighting for rebounds.  Gasol left for the Chicago Bulls while the erratic Kaman signed with the Portland Trailblazers.

The Lakers rewarded Hill’s best season as a professional with a two-year, $18 million contract extension. He set career highs in minutes (21), points (9.7), rebounds (7.4), and field goal percentage (54.9).

At 27, Hill is just entering his prime and is likely to see a substantial increase in minutes, both at power forward and center for the Lakers.  If the season were to start today, Hill should get the starting nod at center.

In addition to holdover center Robert Sacre, Hill and second-year power forward Ryan Kelly, the Lakers drafted big man Julius Randle from Kentucky in the first round of the draft (seventh overall pick).

L.A. then signed former Memphis Grizzlies forward Ed Davis to a two-year deal for $2 million and later grabbed NBA veteran Carlos Boozer from the Chicago Bulls for just $3.25 million after he left via the NBA's amnesty provision.

And so the Lakers are now top-heavy at the power forward position heading into camp this fall.  New head coach Byron Scott will need to find a way to dole out minutes to five big men who can all make significant contributions on both ends of the court.
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers