Lakers News: Darvin Ham Reveals Plan For Starting Lineup Moving Forward
Los Angeles Lakers
According to head coach Darvin Ham, your Los Angeles Lakers have formally committed to a new starting five following a string of lineup changes during the season.
In the backcourt are D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves, while in the frontcourt are Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and LeBron James. When questioned about the team’s success (which has seen them go 3-0 thus far), Ham exuded confidence, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com:
Unlike the starting lineup from the team’s playoff success the previous season, although still similar to it, Jarred Vanderbilt is not starting in favor of Rui Hachimura.
Considering his offensive potential, Hachimura probably fits better in the starting lineup even if Vanderbilt hasn’t played many games at full strength this season.
I believe it’s realistic to anticipate that Ham sticks with this starting lineup going forward, even if it may be difficult to stick with the same lineup for an extended period of time, particularly when your squad is deep and other lineup combinations have shown effectiveness.
It’s possible that Vando may start over Hachimura given the matchup, but it’s evident that Rui has done well in his starting role so far. His size on defense and versatility as a scorer are both significant assets to a Lakers team that has apparently struggled to find a two-way fifth starter.