The Los Angeles Lakers had an undoubtedly great offseason. Already, they are among the favorites to win the title next season. Moreover, they are ready to get on with the following season. There is enough depth and balance in their roster to make them look like a championship-winning team. Moreover, the main idea of the front office was to keep the core together in the offseason. That’s what they successfully managed to do. Now, the position in the starting lineup that is up for grabs is the fifth starter who’ll play the role of small forward.
For this role, the top choices are Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, or Taurean Prince. Only time will answer who the coach adds in the starting lineup. Austin Reaves will play the role of point guard and D’Lo will play the role of shooting guard as per Darvin Ham. Then there are the top two stars of the team, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, in the starting lineup. Besides the starting lineup, where can the talented Max Christie find his place in the lineup?
Is There Some Space For Max Christie In The Rotation?
After Day 3 of the training camp, Darvin Ham mentioned he wants Max Christie to have a louder presence on the court. As per the head coach, Max Christie had a great summer with the Lakers. But Ham wants more participation from Christie. Moreover, the Lakers Head coach puts the onus on Max to be a leader out there on the court. Darvin Ham says Max Christie must be more vocal and also help out the coaches like a partner. Then, Max can become more familiar with what exactly the team wants to do on the court.
Only then can Max Christie get his ticket to be in the rotation. Adding to that, Darvin Ham mentioned Max Christie must focus more on defense and increase his aggression. While doing that, Max must keep things simple on the offense. Max must be active on the defense like there’s no tomorrow and shoot 3s when he’s open. It is all about keeping it simple but aggressive in the offense, as per Ham on Christie. After the practice on Day 3, Jaxson Hayes said, “Max Christie is a dog” because of his incredible performance.
Surprisingly, The Lakers Will Have D’Lo Russell In The Starting Lineup
On top of that, they signed some quality players like Gabe Vincent, Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, and Taurean Prince this offseason. These new Lakers players are ready to make a mark wearing the purple and gold uniform. Moreover, in the training camp, the head coach is trying out different combinations for the starting lineup and the players who will come off the bench.
In the news conference prior to the training camp, Darvin Ham mentioned D’Angelo Russell would be in the starting lineup as the team’s shooting guard. It was a surprise because people were expecting Gabe Vincent to play that role. Moreover, the way the last season ended for Russell and the Lakers, it looked like they would trade D’Lo in the offseason. On the other hand, the Lakers resigned him for two years worth a $37 million contract.
