The Los Angeles Lakers will enter the 2023-24 NBA season with a new look, loaded with younger talent to support LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham met with the media on Thursday, September 28, and revealed his starting lineup plans.
The 50-year-old coach revealed D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves as his starting backcourt, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis as two of the three players who will be up front. The third spot has yet to be determined and will be determined at training camp, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
Darvin Ham confirms the team’s starting backcourt is D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves. The third frontcourt spot and fifth spot in the starting lineup next to LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Reaves and Russell is up for grabs in training camp, according to Ham.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 28, 2023
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Lakers add some drama to starting frontcourt spot
The purple and gold have several players who can vie for that spot. That includes Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and recruits Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood.
Ham will have his work cut out for him, figuring out who among those names gets the nod. Then again, it is a luxury on his part to determine who best fits into the system he plans to use for the 2022-23 NBA wars.
However, it appears Hachimura and Vanderbilt have the inside track, given their performances last season. That can all be affirmed once Lakers training camp starts, Bleacher Report reported.
DLO's surprise starting role
Beyond that, Russell being named as a starter may come as a surprise. His consistency has been questioned after hardly helping the Lakers in their loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
But then again, the Lakers will still be in the regular season under this plan. It could be a way to help the 27-year-old get into the groove of things as their campaign progresses.
Further, it could also serve as a barometer to determine if Russell will stay or go. The name of the All-Star guard has been floated in trade scenarios despite signing a two-year $36 million deal last July via NBA.com.
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