Four of the Los Angeles Lakers’ five starters for this season are set. D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves will start in the backcourt, and, of course, LeBron James and Anthony Davis will handle frontcourt duties.
But who will the fifth starter be?
Will it be Jarred Vanderbilt, who held that role for most of last season after he arrived in the Russell Westbrook trade? Vanderbilt is not a reliable outside shooter, but his defense often galvanized the team, and he proved he could effectively guard opponents at different positions.
Rui Hachimura, another midseason acquisition, is another prime contender thanks to his ability to score in bunches, especially in iso situations. He has had stretches of effective defense while guarding star big men such as Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns.
According to team sources, the early favorite to earn that spot is Hachimura.
Via The Athletic:
“Hachimura enters camp as the internal favorite to earn the third starting frontcourt spot, according to team sources not authorized to speak publicly.”
Training camp starts early next week, and for the first time in years, the Lakers will not have to focus on developing chemistry among a number of new starters. Instead, camp will be about strengthening the chemistry they started building last season while preparing everyone for what could be a legitimate run at the NBA championship.