12/17/2023 0 Comments Lakers roster 2012![]() He’s the Lakers’ third-best player by a solid margin.Īt this stage of the offseason, Christie projects as the backup over Reddish. That may be true in a technical sense, but consider me skeptical. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told The Sporting Tribune that James and Davis are the only starting locks, with the other three spots open for competition. That won’t be the case this time around, with Reaves fresh off a breakout season as a starter, a new contract and a forthcoming stint with Team USA. It took far too long for Reaves to become the starting shooting guard last season, and even that was a season too late, frankly. Shooting guardĪlternatives: Cam Reddish, Vincent, Russell Hood-Schifino will inevitably be thrown into the fire at some point, but summer league has shown that still has to improve as a perimeter shooter and finisher to be a rotation-caliber player. James will always exert a level of control over the offense, particularly in close games. Reaves will have the ball more in his hands next season and function as more of a point guard in non-James lineups. At a minimum, Vincent is the early closer, much as Dennis Schröder often was last season, especially in critical matchups that require two-way players. Unlike Russell, Vincent’s defensive chops prevent him from being played off the floor in the postseason, as he showed during the Heat’s Finals run. He is the better defender than Russell and a more natural off-ball fit as a lower-usage catch-and-shoot threat. With all that said, this is an open competition and Vincent has a legitimate chance to steal the starting job. Under the old rules - and had D'Angelo Russell not waived his veto rights - he would've had a say in any trade out of LA. Team sources confirmed this to This is a significant development for LA and their flexibility at the trade deadline. The Lakers can also rehabilitate Russell’s trade value by starting him and helping him bounce back to last season’s regular-season production. Russell has started nearly 89 percent of his NBA games (435 of 491), while Vincent has started just 35 percent (68 of 195). In theory, Russell starting is more important to him than it would be for Vincent. Given the Lakers’ second-half success with Russell in the starting lineup last season and his superior offensive skill, he makes the most sense as the starter. (Even if Russell refuses to refer to himself as a point guard.) Russell and Vincent will compete for the spot, with Russell projected as the early favorite to start. Point guard is one of two starting lineup spots that are up for grabs (James, Davis and Reaves are obvious starting locks). ![]() ![]() ![]() Alternatives:Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Jalen Hood-Schifino ![]()
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