The Los Angeles Lakers are definitely on a mission to win the title next season. They had a great offseason. Moreover, the LA side executed their plans brilliantly. Initially, in the offseason, Rob Pelinka mentioned that the front office wanted to keep the core together. Recently, in a news conference, Ham and Pelinka told the media about their hopes and plans for the next season. They looked very optimistic about the future. And why won’t they be?
Clearly, the Lakers have depth and balance in their current roster. But the question remains: how will Darvin Ham use the rotation when there are so many options? The Lakers coach revealed D’Angelo Russell would join the big three players of the LA side – LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves. Then, the fifth spot is still up for grabs. Who’ll get the last spot in the starting lineup – Rui Hachimura or Jarred Vanderbilt? There are so many options, but Ham sure doesn’t mind having this issue.
Darvin Ham Said The Lakers Will Experiment With Different Lineups
Darvin Ham mentioned that the Lakers will experiment with the deep and balanced roster they’ve got. Currently, the Lakers are heading toward the training camp, and it is an ideal time to “Tinker with the roster” in terms of Darvin Ham. They will entertain all sorts of lineups from a small ball or a big ball player. Moreover, the Lakers might also see how the new signings are suiting in the lineup like Taurean Prince and Christian Wood. Adding to that, Darvin Ham also mentioned it is just a joy to see the team’s construction. They can have Austin Reaves at the point or Taurean Prince at the two.
On the other hand, the LA side can also have Rui Hachimura and LeBron James at the three. Then, they have Anthony Davis and Christian Wood at the center. Moreover, Darvin Ham believes these players are already ready to be part of the experiment. The experimentation process has already begun at LeBron James minicamp. Hence, the players are ready for the experiment in the training camp. Darvin Ham said they will come up with the best possible starting lineup. Meanwhile, they’ll have options as well to throw at any opposition whenever they want.
Is It A Good Idea For Giving D’Angelo Russell A Place In The Starting Lineup?
The Lakers were keen to resign the players who helped them make the postseason last time – D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura. These players were heading toward free agency. But the 17-time champions were sure about resigning Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura after their impressive performances in the playoffs. However, there were doubts regarding the interest in D’Lo Russell. After all, D’Lo did not live up to the expectations of the fans in the playoffs, especially in the Western Conference Finals.
That’s why Darvin Ham even benched Russell out of the starting lineup during the WCF. Moreover, the Lakers signed Gabe Vincent from the Miami Heat in the offseason. Initially, the Lakers Faithful thought Vincent was a replacement for D’Lo. But at present, it seems Vincent, who came from last season’s runners-up team, will replace Dennis Schroder in the current LA squad. Moreover, what shocked the fans was Darvin Ham, the head coach, saying D’Angelo Russell will be their starting point guard for the next season.
