“LeBron at any position is a problem” - Tyronn Lue praises LeBron James as superstar shows versatility, including playing center for LA Lakers vs Clippers

LeBron James cleared health and safety protocols just in time to play for the LA Lakers against the LA Clippers.

It was a back-and-forth contest that wasn’t decided until the last minute of the ball game, with the Clippers winning 119-115. As always, the four-time MVP was a big part of the Lakers’ schemes on both ends of the floor.

LA Lakers head coach Frank Vogel deployed LeBron James at center a few different times against the Clippers to mixed results. Tyronn Lue, James' former coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Clippers' head tactician, saw this move coming.

Here’s what he had to say about LeBron James playing center (via Tom Azarly):

"LeBron at any position is a problem. When they put him at the center, now you got a five-man who can roll, you can't switch onto him, but also when he rolls, they hit him in the short roll, he can make the plays and the passes to get guys open shots."

LeBron James has played most of his minutes as the point guard or in either of the forward roles this season. Vogel first gave the four-time champion more minutes in the LA Lakers’ overtime win against the Indiana Pacers, where James played 10:23 minutes as the sole big man.

LeBron James at center, at least based on a small sample, has solved a few of the LA Lakers’ pressing concerns. Vogel playing him in the slot will help open up the lane and allow Russell Westbrook to really thrive with his forceful drives to the basket. It also allows James to call out defensive coverages.

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Will LeBron James see more minutes at center moving forward for the LA Lakers?

The LA Lakers will try anything to get more consistency out of their lineups, including putting LeBron James at center. [Photo: Sporting News]

The LA Lakers could already have considered this move when the season started, particularly with an impending spacing problem caused by putting Westbrook in the starting unit. They never really used the plan until the last few games following the team’s uneven play with almost a quarter of the games already played this season.

Frank Vogel has thought about the move, but will not commit to such a tactic. The main reason holding them back is the concern for James’ workload. The 17x All-Star may see more minutes at center based on certain situations.

With the way the LA Lakers are playing, they could try anything that’ll help get this team some kind of rhythm and consistency. They could likely experiment more with their superstar at center. If it works, they’ll likely save it for the most important situations to limit LeBron James’ workload.