LeBron James, Anthony Davis expected to switch positions this season
Anthony Davis does not like to play the 5.
The multifaceted All-Star has notoriously strayed away from the position throughout his career, opting for the finesse and fluidity of power forward over the banging and bruising that come with playing center.
On the flip side, although he has the size — standing at 6-foot-8, 250 pounds — LeBron James has rarely lined up as a traditional "big man." He's listed as a small forward on the Lakers' roster but has consistently acted as the squad's lead floor general, a figurative point guard in a big's body.
In years past, though, both men have placed positional preferences on the back burner in favor of winning, and this season, it appears that the dynamic duo will have to do the same.
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According to reports stemming from their agent, Rich Paul, James and Davis will "slide" to the 4 and 5, respectively, this season as they look to integrate their new teammates.
Those additional troops include Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard, to name a few. If this were 2012, that unit would be a near unbeatable collection of All-NBA talent.
But with time comes change, and though this troupe is stacked on paper, they'll have to figure out how to transform their star-studded lineup into a championship group.
James and Davis believe this shift will help them get there.
Shannon Sharpe agreed on Thursday's version of "Undisputed."
"If you really look at it, even though LeBron sometimes handled the point, he was really the 4 in their [championship] lineup," Sharpe said. "I'm all for LeBron playing 4 and AD going to the 5 if that means getting another one of your best players on the court. I like the willingness to sacrifice to say, 'This is not my normal position, but for the betterment of the team, this is what I'm willing to do.'
"And you know what it ends in? … Confetti all over the place! Clean up!"
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Winning is the ever-pertinent motivator for the Lake-Show. But Skip Bayless isn't quite sold on the team's ability to do so.
For Bayless, there is one staggering factor that rears itself as a roadblock on the Lakers' path to glory.
His name is Russell Westbrook.
"Not only are the Lakers accommodating Russ, they're basically handing him the keys to the kingdom," Bayless said. "The same Russ who led the Wizards to a 34-38 record while leading the league in turnovers by a lot!
"Four times he's led this league in turnovers. Four times he's finished second in turnovers. Four times he's led this league in usage rate, and four more times he's finished second in usage. He must have the ball. To me, he's prioritized stats over winning. Are you sure that down the stretch, you want the ball in the hands of Russell Westbrook?"
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Westbrook as primary ball handler, though, is not set in stone. James still serves as the undisputed shot-caller for the franchise, and Chris Broussard projects that he'll continue to dictate the flow of the game.
"The Lakers' plan is to play position-less basketball. Yes, Westbrook will be listed as the point guard, but LeBron will have the ball in his hands a lot, like he usually does," Broussard said. "They do like the idea of LeBron being closer to the basket. He'll get the ball in the paint, he'll get the ball at the elbow, he'll be the screener on pick-and-rolls with Westbrook.
"They think that him getting the ball in those spots will be great for the team because he's such a great passer."
Chris Broussard: The Lakers shifting AD & LeBron to new positions to start the season makes sense I UNDISPUTED
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James has also reportedly been tightening up his 3-point game as he looks to become more of an off-ball force. He shot 35.4% on catch-and-shoot tries last season and 45.5% on corner 3s.
He'll try to increase those percentages as his opportunities in both areas project to swell.
The Lakers kick off their season against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 19.
Check out the full "Undisputed" debate below:
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