Topic Of Debate: Did Mike D’Antoni make the right decision to place Ryan Kelly into the starting lineup?
Context: After scoring 20 points, grabbing four rebounds, and blocking one shot against the Boston Celtics on Friday, it was announced on Saturday that Ryan Kelly would be getting a chance to make an impact with the starting lineup today against the Toronto Raptors.
Kelly has slowly yet surely earned the respect of the coaching staff and his fellow teammates, and he’s put the work in that it takes to be a productive professional player . Because of that, head coach Mike D’Antoni has rewarded his efforts by granting him this opportunity.
However, has Kelly been playing well enough to the point that he deserves to play starters minutes?
Verdict: We took this poll question to Twitter to get the fans take on whether they felt Kelly deserved starters minutes. I presented the poll question:
Hey Lakers fans, After what you saw from rookie Ryan Kelly last night, is he deserving of more minutes. Perhaps as a starter? #LakersDebate
— Ry (@JustRyCole) January 18, 2014
Here are some responses:
@JustRyCole wouldn’t be surprised to see him start over Hill, who has been struggling lately.
— Adam Sexton (@asexton92) January 18, 2014
@JustRyCole I’d rather have Hill starting, our main concern is rebounding,
— #593ToGo (@TheLakerLion) January 18, 2014
@JustRyCole I’d have to agree. He fits into the rotation well and plays within areas on the floor where he’s most effective.
— Lake Show Live (@LakeShowLive) January 18, 2014
@JustRyCole at this point with a depleted roster we need to give reps to kelly
— Keyser Söze (@sharkfinsoup_) January 18, 2014
Kelly has certainly impressed Lakers fans as of late, but I’m not quite sure that he’s ready to be a starter in this league. We know that he’s the ideal “stretch four” in Mike D’Anoni’s system, as he’s proven that he is capable of converting shots from beyond the arc.
I think it would be more suitable for Kelly if he were to simply get an increased role in the rotation. Increase his minutes and give him a more defined role. I think that starting spot alongside Gasol should be given to Jordan Hill, as his rebounding and defense fits as a better compliment in the first unit.
It’s great that Kelly is developing, but the last thing we want is for him to shoulder more responsibility than what he’s capable of handling. Placing him in the starting lineup could lead to that.
What about you? Do you think he’s ready to make an impact with the first unit?
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