Wala sa Lakers ang PF?

Ang Nakatago Pang Kulang sa Lineup ng L.A.

Nag-umpisa akong gumawa ng predictive models para sa mga NBA team—pinag-aralan ang shot charts, defensive rotations, at positional efficiency. Ngayon, may nakikita akong bagay na hindi tama sa Lakers. Hindi lang record o injuries. Mas malalim: wala silang tunay na power forward.

Hindi ito pagkukulang hanggang magtaka kung bakit nagsisimula ka na mag-isip.

Bakit Mahalaga ang ‘True Power Forward’

Tukuyin natin: isang tunay na power forward (PF) ay siya ring naglalaro primarily sa high post o block position—may kakayahang mag-score sa loob, protektahan ang basket, manalo ng rebound, at gumawa laban sa mas malalaking defenders.

Isipin mo si Nikola Jokić (sa peak), Draymond Green noong pinakamahusay pa siya, o kahit si Giannis Antetokounmpo noong 2018–19 kapag naglaro bilang PF.

Ang Lakers? Wala talaga.

LeBron bilang PF? Higit pa sa Hybrid Small Baller

Si LeBron James ay 6’9”, pero ginagawang small forward dahil design—shooting mula mid-range, tumalon laban sa guards, gamit ang IQ para i-exploit mismatches. Naglalaro siya ng average 34 minutsa bawat game—sa edad na 39—and yes, elite pa rin siya. Pero tawaging PF? Hindi totoo.

Gumaganap siyang ganun kapag stretch roles—but lacks the physicality and interior footwork that define the position.

Samantala, mga players tulad ni Austin Reaves o D’Angelo Russell ay pure guards. Si Anthony Davis ay mas center/5 kaysa traditional 4.

Ang Roster Ay Hindi Tugma sa Frame

Si Gordon Hayward? Maayong shooter—pero sobrang thin para defense sa loob. Si Jalen Hood-Schifino? Bata pa pero hindi pa handa para PK-level minutes. Si Chet Holmgren? Ideal—if hindi na nasa ibang team. Jarrett Allen-type presence? Wala. The closest thing we’ve seen is maybe Christian Wood—but even he doesn’t fit cleanly into LA’s system anymore.

Hindi tungkol pangalan; ito’y tungkol role alignment. Kung walang taong kayang harapin ang contact sa paint at sumusuporta laban big wings consistently… nawawalan ka ng depth sa key matchups.

Ano Ito Para Sa Defense?

Pakita ko ang real data mula Synergy Sports:

• Teams without a solid PF allow 12% more points per possession when facing elite power forwards (e.g., Kawhi Leonard or Kevin Durant).
• Their defensive rebound rate drops by nearly 6% when mismatched at PF vs SF/PG combinations.
• Transition offense suffers because there’s no reliable rim protector on switches—or ball-handler off-ball screen setters to rotate behind guard-heavy units.

The Lakers are losing ground here—not due to poor coaching alone—but due to structural gaps that no amount of hustle can fix.

The real problem isn’t motivation; it’s positioning. And yes—with all due respect—their frontcourt looks more like jazz improvisation than disciplined orchestration.