AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
La lakers depth chart8/30/2023 ![]() The Lakers need to maximize spacing for driving lanes for James and Westbrook, and for Davis to operate in the post and as a roller. If anything, the Lakers’ perimeter group is worse at shooting 3s, on paper. They still persist into Year 2 of the Davis-Westbrook pairing. Davis sliding over to center more - he started 21 of his 40 games there - alleviated some of those concerns. That was largely out of necessity, as the Lakers’ spacing with a traditional center ( DeAndre Jordan or Dwight Howard), Davis and Westbrook was horrific. Last season, Davis bucked the perception that he doesn’t like playing power forward by logging 76 percent of his minutes at center, his highest proportion in Los Angeles and second-highest of his career. James’ minutes actually increased to 37 per game last season, but entering his age-38 season, that figure will have to go down to some degree. Davis has been in that range the past four seasons, though last season he played 35 minutes per night because the other big-man options were so bad. (Swider and Pippen aren’t included as it’s unlikely that either player has a significant role on next season’s roster barring injuries.)īudenholzer typically used a 10-man rotation, with star players rarely playing more than 33 minutes per night. Let’s delve into Version 1.0 of the Lakers’ projected depth chart, rotation and positional battles. If and when moves are made, we’ll update the analysis of the roster. But this is an assessment of the current group. The Lakers’ roster will almost certainly look different than it does now. Of course, one giant caveat applies to any analysis of the current roster: A lot can change between now and opening night. ![]() We’ll also dig into some of the key positional battles that will be determined in training camp and the preseason. There are two paths forward for the Lakers: One with Anthony Davis at power forward and one with him at center. Below, we’ll cover both potential depth charts, along with an accompanying rotation. It will depend on the identity that new head coach Darvin Ham wants to implement. Beyond that, there are two spots up for grabs for multiple players. Westbrook is likely to start if he remains with the team. James and Davis are the only starting locks. The Lakers’ depth chart is currently unclear. They also have two players on two-way contracts: Cole Swider and Scotty Pippen Jr. The Lakers have recently preferred the flexibility of leaving a roster spot open in case they want to sign a player out of the G League, for flexibility in trades, and for the January/February buyout market. The Lakers would have a significant advantage for stretches of the game while providing James and Davis more time to rest on the bench.As things stand, the Lakers have 14 players under contract, which is the likely number they will carry into next season. When the team is at full strength, Hachimura could be a key player in the second unit alongside Russell Westbrook and Austin Reaves. 9 overall pick showed his upside in his last game with 30 points on 13-of-22 shooting. Hachimura now provides even more depth in the post, giving the team another reliable scorer after averaging 13.0 points in 30 games off the bench with Washington. The strong play could allow Davis to play the 4 when he returns, allowing LeBron James to spend more time on the perimeter. Bryant has impressed when on the court, however, averaging 12.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Injuries have caused some adjustments to the lineup, with Thomas Bryant filling in for Anthony Davis and Troy Brown Jr. PF: LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Wenyen GabrielĬ: Anthony Davis, Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones SF: Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson SG: Patrick Beverley, Austin Reaves, Max Christie It helps strengthen the roster when fully healthy as the 22-25 squad tries to get back into playoff contention. This deal provides some much-needed depth for a squad that has struggled with injuries this year.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |