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How Los Angeles Lakers Reinvented Themselves As Offensive Juggernaut

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The Lakers used D’Angelo Russell’s evolution, Austin Reaves’ resurgence, Anthony Davis’ playmaking, an all-offense starting lineup, and a 3-point shooting revolution to reinvent themselves as an offensive juggernaut.

After spending the season’s first 40 games trying to build a defense-first starting lineup and rotation, the Lakers suddenly surprised everybody and spent the last 16 games reinventing themselves as an offensive juggernaut.
With injuries to the team’s top defenders like Vanderbilt, Vincent, Reddish, and Christie, Ham was finally forced to play his top offensive players in a move that may have changed everything and saved the Lakers’ season.

For the first 40 games of the season, the 19–21 Lakers were firmly mired in 13th place in the Western Conference with a low offensive rating of 112.2 (#23), fair defensive rating of 114.0 (#14), and poor net rating of -1.8 (#21).
Over the last 16 games, the Lakers turned their season around, winning 11 of 16, solidifying 9th place in the West, and posting elite offensive rating of 120.2 (#4), defensive rating of 116.5 (#21), and net rating of +3.7 (#8).

The Lakers raised their offensive rating from 112.1 the first 40 games to 120.2 last 16 games, an offensive boost of 8.1 points per game at a cost of just 2.5 points per game on defense, for a net improvement of +5.6 points.
The 30–26 Lakers have won 3 straight and 6 of last 7 games, They’re 9th in the West, 2 games behind Kings for 8th, 2.5 games behind Mavs for 7th, and just 3.5 games behind Pelicans for 6th and Suns for 5th seed in the West.

So let’s take a deeper dive into how the Los Angeles Lakers reinvented themselves as an offensive juggernaut and repositioned themselves as the NBA team that other playoff teams do not want to meet in the playoffs.

D’Angelo Russell’s Evolution

D’Angelo Russell’s evolution into the difference-making third star and elite volume 3-point shooter the Lakers desperately need has been the driving force behind their emergence as a legitimate championship contender.

During the season’s first 40 games, Russell posted 15.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 29.1 minutes per game, while shooting 47.1% from the field, 39.4% from deep, and 76.0% from the line.
During the season’s last 16 games, DLO averaged 22.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 36.4 minutes per game, while shooting 45.5% from the field, 45.3% from deep, and 88.2% from the line.

It’s no coincidence that the Lakers rise from the dead began when Darvin Ham decided to give the starting point guard job back to D’Angelo Russell 17 games ago as L.A. fell 2 games under .500 despite DLO’s 39-point night.
What changed that night was Russell deciding the best way he could complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis was to always be in attack mode to take advantage of them rather than always deferring to them.

As simplistic or naive as that decision might have been, give D’Angelo credit for going out over the last 15 games and proving that his theory was right and triggering a dramatic Lakers turnaround over the last 16 games.
During that 16 game run, Russell’s ppg jumped from 15.4 to 22.3, mpg from 29.1 to 36.4, FGA pg from 12.4 to 17.0, 3PA pg from 5.5 to 8.5, and 3PM pg from 2.2 to 3.9, 3P% pg from 39.4% to 45.3%, FT% from 76.0% to 88.2%.

Whether D’Angelo Russell can sustain this level of play will be a major factor in the Lakers becoming a legitimate championship contender the second half of the season and DLO earning a home in purple and gold.

Austin Reaves’ Resurgence

Austin Reaves’ resurgence over the last 15 games, following a subpar first 40 games of the season and concerns over his defense, eased any concerns the Lakers had about his future as they refused to trade him for Dejounte.

During the season’s first 40 games, Reaves posted 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.1 blocks in 30.0 minutes per game, while shooting 48.7% from the field, 34.4% from deep, and 86.9% from the line.
During the season’s last 16 games, Austin averaged 17.5 points, 3.1 boards, 6.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks in 33.8 minutes per game, while shooting 49.5% from the field, 40.1% from deep, and 85.0% from the line.

While Reaves did not need to reinvent his game like Russell to secure his starting role, he did need to show he could be counted on to be a strong enough scorer, playmaker, and defender to start on a championship team.
While Austin raised his level of play over the last 16 games, the Lakers may still want better perimeter defense than a Russell and Reaves backcourt could deliver, especially when defenders like Vando and Reddish get back.

Right now, Reaves is playing like he did during last season’s playoffs. His pairing with Russell has been special, shooting lights out from deep and showing his skill in getting buckets, free throws, and dimes in the paint.
Reaves’ biggest problem is his team-first attitude and willingness to come off the bench could make him vulnerable to being replaced as a starter by a better defender like Vanderbilt, Reddish, Vincent, Christie, or Dinwiddie.

Austin Reaves continues to grow in his role as the Lakers’ fourth star behind LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and D’Angelo Russell. He’s met the challenge by giving the Lakers’ starting lineup a fourth offensive star.

Anthony Davis’ Playmaking

The development of Anthony Davis as an elite playmaker not only elevated his offensive repertoire to the superstar level of his defensive arsenal but also turbo charged the Lakers’ elite new AD-centric half-court offense.

During the season’s first 40 games, Davis posted 25.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.6 blocks in 36.1 minutes per game, while shooting 55.1% from the field, 33.3% from deep, and 81.0% from the line.
During the season’s last 16 games, Anthony posted 24.4 points, 12.4 boards, 4.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks in 34.7 minutes per game, while shooting 55.6% from the field, 20.0% from deep, and 80.7% from the line.

The big statistical difference for Anthony Davis between the first 40 games and the last 16 games was the jump in assists from 3.5 to 4.7 per game. Through his 12-year career, Davis has averaged only 2.5 assists per game.
Davis’ improved passing has also caught the eye-tests of the announcers and pundits covering the NBA. Per Lakers, Davis been working a lot with James this season to improve his passing as a counter to double teams.

During their first 40 games when defense took priority over offense, the Lakers averaged 114.1 points per game, 19th in the league. During the last 16 games, the Lakers averaged 124.2 points per game, 2nd to Warriors.
During the Lakers’ first 40 games, the Lakers averaged 27.7 assists per game, which was 8th in the league. During the last 16 games, the Lakers have averaged 30.6 assists per game, which was 1st in the entire league.

Anthony Davis’ improved playmaking has transformed the Lakers’ half-court offense. AD’s ability to playmake at a superstar level has transformed their moribund half-court offense into a championship caliber attack.

All-Offense Starting Lineup

After 40-games of constant starting lineup tinkering and controversy, injuries to defenders finally forced Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham to return to a D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves offense-first backcourt.

The benefits of the Lakers finally having a modern lineup with five players who can space the court, make plays for their teammates, and were key to making last year’s conference finals were obvious over the last 16 games. Suddenly, the lack of continuity and chemistry that plagued the first 40 games seemed to magically disappear the last 16 games with the Lakers’ new starting lineup of Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Davis.

One of the major coaching challenges in the NBA is finding that critical balance between offense and defense that would optimize winning and Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham has certainly struggled with that issue.
While there’s truth in the cliche that defense wins championships, the goal of the game of basketball is to put the ball through the hoop more times than your opponent does. That’s a lesson Darvin Ham needed to learn.

The Lakers’ new offense-first starting lineup may still need better perimeter defense down the line but for now it’s brought desperately needed continuity and stability for the team’s entire 12-man rotation.
The bigger challenge will come when the Lakers return to play the remaining 26 games on the schedule with a goal of at least climbing into the top-6 teams in the West to get a guaranteed seed in the playoffs.

Injuries and coaching inexperience led the Lakers to struggle with their starting lineups during the first 40 games but their new all-offense starting lineup of Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Davis is a big winner.

3-Point Shooting Revolution

Laker Players’ 3-Point Shooting Last 16 Games

What D’Angelo Russell’s evolution, Austin Reaves’ resurgence, Anthony Davis’ playmaking, and an all-offense starting lineup have done is launch a 3-point revolution to transform the Lakers into an offensive juggernaut.

During the first 40 games of the season, the Lakers were 28th in the league with only 10.9 made threes per game, 30th in the league with just 30.5 attempted threes per game, and 22nd in league shooting 35.8% on threes.
During the last 16 games, however, the Lakers ranked 16th in the league with 12.4 made threes per game, 25th in the league with 31.2 attempted threes per game, and 3rd in the entire league shooting 39.9% on threes.

The main benefit of the Lakers’ 3-point revolution is how it changes their blueprint of how to win games, which is dominate points-in-the-paint and made-free-throws to overcome their usual negative 3-point differential.
While sustaining this level of 3-point shooting may be hard, the Lakers’ enhancements were due to better process, more spacing, fewer turnovers, smarter shot selection, improved ball movement, and increased assists.

During the first 40 games, the Lakers 3-point differential was -10.5 points per game. During the last 16 games, that same differential was just -3.6 points per game, a 3-point differential improvement of 6.9 points per game.
During first 40 games, Lakers lost 3PM by 10.5 points but won PIP and FTM by 8.6 points for a -1.9 net difference. Over last 16 games, they won 3PM by 6.9 points and PIP and FTM by 9.5 points for a 16.5 point net differential.

The Lakers have parlayed D’Angelo Russell’s evolution, Austin Reaves’ resurgence, Anthony Davis’ playmaking, and a new all-offense starting lineup into a 3-point revolution that’s transformed their blueprint to win.

Four Possible Championship-Caliber Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineups

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The new and improved version of the Los Angeles Lakers start training camp with 6 players potentially competing for the 2 remaining starting positions alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves.

Gabe Vincent with his superior defense and better playoff performance should win the Lakers’ starting point guard job over lame duck D’Angelo Russell, who will almost certainly be moved before the trade deadline. Unless Reaves fails his early season audition to become the team’s next starting point guard, there’s no way the Lakers go into the playoffs next June with Dlo at point. Lakers will finish season with new point guard.

That leaves Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, and Christian Wood as the 4 players who’ll be competing to be the Lakers’ fifth starter next to LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent.
Each potential fifth starter has their strengths. Vanderbilt would give the Lakers their best defensive lineup, Wood their best offensive lineup, Hayes their biggest front court, and Hachimura their most versatile fivesome.

Looming over the intense competition to start is newly extended superstar Anthony Davis’ continued preference to play power forward and renewed request not to play as many minutes at center this season as the last two. While Anthony Davis wants to play the four, LeBron James likely needs to play the four, which is why the Lakers are also considering two starting lineups where James plays the four and two where Davis plays the four.

There’s also competition within the competition as Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura fight to be the starting small forward while Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood battle to win the starting and backup center jobs. Training camp and preseason will ultimately determine whether the Lakers open the season with a traditional starting lineup with Vanderbilt or Hachimura or a two-bigs starting lineup with Hayes or Wood at the five.

While the Lakers are likely to start the season with either Vanderbilt or Hachimura as the fifth starter, there will be constant pressure during the season to give Hayes and/or Wood their inevitable opportunity to start.
It’s entirely possible that we will see a progression where the Lakers start the season with Vanderbilt as the fifth starter, then change to Hachimura, then change to Hayes, and finally ending with Wood as the fifth starter.

So let’s take a deeper dive into the pros and cons of the four possible championship-caliber Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineups featuring Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, or Christian Wood.

1. The ‘Jarred Vanderbilt’ Starting Lineup

The ‘Jarred Vanderbilt’ starting lineup with Vincent, Reaves, Vanderbilt, James, and Davis should be the Lakers’ strongest defensive lineup as it includes the best defender at every one of the five positions on the team.

Gabe Vincent at point guard, Austin Reaves at shooting guard, Jarred Vanderbilt at small forward, LeBron James at power forward, and Anthony Davis at center are each the best defender on the team at their position. Darvin Ham is a defense first coach so it’s not a stretch to imagine him deciding to start his best defensive team and to give Jarred Vanderbilt the opportunity to improve his offense performance and remain a starter.

Vanderbilt was a major factor in the Lakers post trade deadline finish to make the playoffs and was rewarded with a 4-year $48 million extension despite struggling to stay on the court in the playoffs due to his offense. The Lakers had Vando working 1–on-1 with Phil Handy all summer to improve his 3-point shot and back-to-the-basket game. He apparently has also grown taller over the last summer and now claims to be 6′ 11.”

How the additional height affects his game offensively and defensively will be one of the top stories in camp. If Vando can raise his 3-point shooting from 30% to 36%, he could easily lock up the starting small forward job.
The Lakers and Vanderbilt were smart to wait to sign the extension so he would not be eligible to be traded until next summer. That gives Vando and the Lakers more time for him to work on his offense and overall game.

Having said that, if the Lakers do give Vanderbilt an opportunity to start, he’ll likely also be on a short leash because they have three other possible championship-caliber starting lineups to whom they could quickly turn.

2. The ‘Rui Hachimura’ Starting Lineup

The ‘Rui Hachimura’ starting lineup with Vincent, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Davis is the favorite to start the season as it gives the Lakers needed size and shooting but also allows LeBron to play power forward.

After showing he was capable of banging bodies with Nikola Jokic in the Western Conference Finals, Hachimura has worked hard on slimming down in anticipation of playing more small forward the coming season.
At 6′ 8″ with a 7′ 2″ wingspan, Rui has the versatility to play down or up a position. In the playoffs, he showed he could play up and bang bodies with a five as well as play down and guard smaller and quicker wing threes.

Critically, Rui playing the three allows LeBron to play power forward, which is the position he is best suited to defend at this point in his career. The last thing the Lakers want is LeBron chasing wings around screens. Starting Hachimura is also a more versatile and innovative way for the Lakers to play two-bigs. While Rui’s best as a four, he can play down to three or up to five. Rui, LeBron, and Anthony can three, four, or five.

The big question is which Rui Hachimura will the Lakers see this season? Will it be the player they traded for who had an excellent finish to the regular season or the player emerged as a potential star in the playoffs?
The answer is probably somewhere in the middle but with untapped upside as Darvin Ham, Phil Handy, and this young Lakers’ coaching staff seems to have a talent for figuring out how to grow and develop young players.

Right now, Rui Hachimura is the poster child for the great success the Lakers’ young coaching staff has had in turning around project players. If Rui gets a chance to start, he could easily turn it into his permanent job.

3. The ‘Jaxson Hayes’ Starting Lineup

The ‘Jaxson Hayes’ starting lineup with Vincent, Reaves, James, Davis, and Hayes would give the Lakers’ their biggest front court with Haves at the five and Davis at the four but would require James to play and defend the three.

While it’s easier for the Lakers to start Vanderbilt or Hachimura, players from last season’s team who could allow James to not have to play the three, pressure will ultimately grow to start two bigs so Davis can play the four. Before they even had an opportunity to sign Christian Wood, the Lakers had penciled in Jaxson Hayes as the likely starting center in a two-bigs lineup that allowed Anthony Davis to play his preferred power forward.

There’s a good argument that Jaxson Hayes is the better candidate to start next to Anthony Davis in a Lakers’ two-bigs lineup than Christian Wood because Darvin Ham would prefer his defense over the latter’s offense.
Just as Christian Wood is insurance against Anthony Davis getting injured, he’s also better suited to be AD’s backup than Jaxson Hayes, who does not have the offensive chops to score at all three levels like Wood can do.

Jaxson Hayes is viewed by the Lakers as a traditional defensive oriented center like Dwight Howard or JaVale McGee, which essentially makes him the perfect candidate to fill the same regular season role they each filled. Late last season, the Lakers suddenly saw a sea change in how the team performs when one of their superstars rests. For the first time, they lost the minutes Anthony Davis rested but not the minutes LeBron James rested.

Starting Jaxson Hayes would not only allow Anthony Davis to play his preferred power forward position but also allow Christian Wood to come off the bench and give the Lakers an able replacement when AD rests.

4. The ‘Christian Wood’ Starting Lineup

The ‘Christian Wood’ starting lineup with Vincent, Reaves, James, Davis, and Wood should be the Lakers’ strongest offensive lineup as it includes the best shooters and scorers at every one of the five positions on the team.

Ultimately, this could be the Lakers most dangerous starting lineup as it would boast both dominating size with a Wood, Davis, and James front court and high volume 3-point shooting with Vincent, Reaves, and Wood. While Wood is the perfect backup for Davis, there’s also a good argument his greatest value could be playing alongside Anthony Davis because of his ability to complement him by spacing the court to free him to attack.

Christian Wood at the five and Anthony Davis at the four would give the Lakers one of the most versatile and dangerous front court duos in the league with two players who can both score and defend at all three levels. Wood will have to prove he can pay attention to defense and become a team-first player who fits the Lakers culture and personality. Once he does that and earns Ham’s trust, he will quickly become the Lakers fifth starter.

Wood is in many ways the perfect fit to play both with and without Davis. Since the Lakers signed him to a 1+1 contract with a second year player option, the the NT MLE would be their only chance at re-signing him. There may come a time this season when the Lakers will regret not trading Jalen Hood-Schifino or Maxwell Lewis to the Mavericks for Christian Wood just so they would have gotten his Bird rights so they could re-sign him.

While it may take time for him to become acclimated to playing defense, a ‘Christian Wood’ starting lineup with Wood and Davis as the two stud bigs should ultimately become the Lakers’ preferred fivesome to start games.

The Four Principles That Guided Rob Pelinka’s Big Makeover Of The Lakers

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After disastrously trading for Russell Westbrook, Rob Pelinka’s pulled off a dramatic comeback by prioritizing fit, upside, tradability, and continuity to transform the Lakers from a lottery team to a championship contender.

The problem that’s haunted the Lakers the last three years was not that Pelinka didn’t know what the right moves to make were. He just didn’t have the will and resolve to stick to his principles. The last six months, he has. Every move Rob’s made from the last trade deadline through this offseason has been about putting together a deep and diverse roster with players who meet his four guiding principles of fit, upside, tradability, and continuity.

When you’re general manager of the Lakers, the pressure is intense not only to hit a homerun every time up but to hit a game-winning, grand-slam homerun. We saw how that worked when we traded for Russell Westbrook. Since then, however, Rob has been impressively patient and consistent. While there’ve been disappointments like Beasley’s inability to fit and Dlo’s and Vando’s playoff vulnerability, Rob’s essentially hit a grand-slam homer.

Pelinka’s grand makeover not only has elevated the Lakers to being one of the top six favorites to win the 2024 NBA Championship but also positioned them perfectly with a plethora of coveted players on tradable contracts. Pelinka may have some tough decisions to make come the trade deadline. Unless expectations are not met, the Lakers are more likely again to make moves to improve on the margins than to foolishly chase a third superstar.

Let’s take a closer look at how Rob Pelinka used fit, upside, tradability, and continuity as his guiding principles to build a deep, diverse rotation that transforms the Lakers from a lottery team to a championship contender.

1. Fit

Reaves, Vincent, and Prince

The first personal quality Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office looked for when evaluating trade and free agency candidates was how they fit alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of the team’s roster.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what it takes to fit alongside two superstars like James and Davis. Even the Lakers understand they need players who’ve proven they can be effective with and without the ball.
The other players on the court with LeBron and AD have to be able to make the inevitable open shots they’ll receive and do the small team-first things like passing, rebounding, and defending that championships require.

For the Lakers, the player who’s the best fit alongside James and Davis is Austin Reaves, the early favorite to win MIP next season after his breakout play for the Lakers in the playoffs and Team USA in the FIBA World Cup.
The Lakers’ priority was to avoid having to match a $100 million offer for Reaves, who’s a restricted free agent, which they were able to do by scaring off suiters and re-signing him to a below market 4-year $56 million deal.

Fit was also the clearly why the Lakers used their NT MLE to sign backup point guard Gabe Vincent to a 3-year $33 million deal and their BAE to sign backup small forward Taurean Prince to a 1-year $4.5 million contract.
Vincent and Prince were perfect examples of Pelinka smartly prioritizing fit in choosing whom to sign with his prized MLE and BAE. Like Reaves, both perfectly fit the 3&D model needed to optimize James and Davis.

Rob Pelinka and the Lakers learned their lesson with Russell Westbrook and prioritized fit as the first quality when choosing which players to bring back or sign to transform them from a lottery team to a title contender.

2. Upside

Wood, Reddish, and Hayes

The second personal quality the Lakers prioritized in building their current roster is upside. Rather than surrounding James and Davis with older vets, Pelinka complemented his superstars solely with players in their twenties.

Amazingly, the average age of the 15 players Pelinka has surrounded James and Davis with is 23.9-years old. Even with 38-year old James and 30-year old Davis included, the average age of the Lakers is still just 25.1-years old.
The Lakers are the 15th youngest team in the league with greater upside than the Clippers, Bucks, 76ers, Warriors, Suns, Raptors, and Heat, the seven oldest teams in the league with average team ages over 27.0 years.

With a player development oriented coaching staff, L.A. is committed to surrounding James and Davis with young players who have the upside to grow, develop, and get better, especially playing with a star like LeBron. They’re parlaying their success with low risk, high reward players like Malik Monk, Lonnie Walker, and Dennis Schroder and hoping to strike gold again with projects Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, and Jaxson Hayes.

The Lakers have done a great job establishing themselves as the mecca for low risk, high reward players looking to redeem their games and revive their brands playing in the bright lights of Los Angeles with Bron and AD.
The Lakers see Wood’s upside as a potential starting center in a two-bigs lineup with Anthony Davis, Reddish’s ceiling as their long coveted starting small forward, and Hayes’ future as a dominant two-way backup center.

Pelinka’s transformation of the Lakers’ roster surrounding James and Davis to prioritize upside has been nothing short of a miracle. The Lakers clearly have greater roster upside than all the other championship contenders.

3. Tradability

Rob Pelinka’s third guiding principle in building a championship roster has been tradability, making sure that every player they sign or trade for not only possess a coveted NBA skillset but also has a team friendly contract.

Unlike last trade deadline, when the Lakers were desperate to trade Russell Westbrook, this Lakers’ roster has nothing but players whose games have solid value as well as untapped upside and contracts are easily tradable.
The Lakers may not have multiple first round picks to trade but they do have a plethora of quality trading chips in the form of solid talented young players who have legitimate NBA upsides and team friendly contracts.

How the Lakers do the first half of the season will determine what they do at the trade deadline. Chances are they will make moves to continue to upgrade the roster on the margins rather than trying to add a third star. Trading for a center like Myles Turner, a volume 3-point shooter like Gary Trent, Jr., or legitimate bigger 3&D starting wing like O.G. Anunoby would be more likely than a blockbuster deal for Trae Young or Zach LaVine.

How players perform the first half of year will also impact their tradability at the deadline. Most observers expect any trade the Lakers complete to include D’Angelo Russell, who waived his ‘no trade’ rights when re-signed.
Right now, Austin Reaves is probably untouchable as are LeBron James and Anthony Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt just signed a new 4-year $48 million contract, which gives him and the Lakers time to grow his game and value.

Besides enjoying a deep and diverse roster of players that can win games, the Lakers also have an impressive portfolio of tradable players to take full advantage of emerging opportunities to upgrade the roster at the deadline.

4. Continuity

Last but not least, Pelinka’s fourth guiding principle for upgrading the Lakers’ roster from lottery team to championship contender is continuity. The Lakers have committed to establishing continuity going forward.

L.A. returned seven players from last year’s team, extending Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, and Jarred Vanderbilt and re-signing Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura to go along with LeBron James and Max Christie.
L.A. also signed five free agents in Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, and Christian Wood and two draft picks in Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis for a total of seven new players.

That gave the Lakers an extremely deep and diverse 14-player roster, one roster spot that they will likely keep open for buyout candidate, and three rookie two-way players in Colin Castleton, D’Moi Hodge, and Alex Fudge.
7 players (Davis, Reaves, Hachimura, Vincent, Vanderbilt, Hood-Schifino, Lewis ) have long-term deals, 5 players (James, Russell, Wood, Reddish, Hayes) have 1+1 deals, and 2 players (Christie, Prince ) have 1-year deals.

Since winning their 17th NBA championship in the bubble in 2020, the Lakers got into the unfortunate habit of essentially turning over their entire roster every offseason and essentially killing any continuity.
With Pelinka committing the franchise to continuity, the Lakers can continue to build a dynamic and sustainable championship caliber roster with 9 to 12 young core players locked up in team-friendly contracts.

Overall, Pelinka’s fourth roster building guiding principle is continuity, which gives the Lakers a minimum of 8 and maximum of 14 players who could come back to defend their 18th and win their 19th championship.

Christian Wood Signing Makes Lakers So Deep It Doesn’t Matter Who Starts

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The remade Los Angeles Lakers are so deep after signing Christian Wood that it doesn’t matter who starts because they have the depth and diversity to create multiple starting lineups that could win an NBA championship.

That Rob Pelinka was able to put together this roster from the ashes of the Russell Westbrook trade while both getting younger and remaining under the hard cap is nothing short of miraculous and deserving of EOY honors. After passing opportunities to trade Westbrook last offseason, Pelinka parlayed difference-making trade deadline and offseason moves to remake the lottery Lakers into what should be one of the championship favorites.

In a different universe, these Lakers could be a team that alternates two or more different starting lineups to better matchup with and beat specific opponents who play big or small or superstars who need special attention.
Regardless of who the Lakers start, they have so much depth and diversity off the bench that they can easily make quick changes to fix problems or improve matchups. Look for Ham to consistently play 11 or 12 players.

That 11/12-man rotation includes superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis plus five shooters who can score 20 points any game in D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and Christian Wood. The Lakers’ greatly increased size, dramatically improved outside shooting, and desperately needed new options on the wing have provided the depth and diversity to create multiple championship caliber starting lineups.

Think how deep an NBA team must be to have the ability to create multiple championship caliber starting lineups. There are probably other Lakers players like Vincent and Hayes who could also have shots at being starters. What we’re likely to see from the Lakers is an evolving starting lineup that enters training camp with Rui Hachimura as the favorite fifth starter but with Cam Reddish and Christian Wood looking to take that spot from him.

With Christian Wood signed, this Lakers’ roster is so deep and talented with so many trustworthy starting lineup options and promising low risk, high reward projects that it does not matter which players end up starting.

The Three Most Likely Lakers Starting Lineups

Assuming James, Davis, Reaves, and Russell start, the Lakers’ best options for a fifth starter include last year playoffs hero Rui Hachimura, talented 3&D wing Cam Reddish, or just acquired stretch five Christian Wood.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ overriding priority in deciding who will be the team’s fifth starter is to find the player who best fits with and complements the Russell and Reaves backcourt and the James and Davis front court.
Needless to say, the player who is the best fit and best complements the other four starters may not be the fifth best player on the team. Or even the sixth or seventh. The key is who makes the Lakers’ starting lineup best.

While healthy competition at multiple positions will likely determine who ends up being the Lakers fifth starter, the current favorite to win the fifth starting position heading into training camp is probably Rui Hachimura. Rui played extremely well in the playoffs, his career 51.9% from deep in the playoffs being a record despite a career 34.7% from deep for the regular season. Lakers hope Rui can will break out this year as a second tier star.

Should Rui not provide consistent floor spacing and quality wing defense needed from the fifth starter, the Lakers could turn to a young prototype small forward Cam Reddish who has the talent to be a legitimate 3&D wing.
Reddish has no chance to start when the season begins but he could have an opportunity once he earns Ham’s trust because he has the size and skills at both ends to allow James and Davis to continue to play the four and five.

Regardless of how well Hachimura or Reddish play, it’s almost inevitable the Lakers ultimately revert to starting two-bigs lineups with Wood at the five to accommodate Davis’ stated desire to play more four and less five. Once Wood proves he’s bought into the Lakers philosophy and Ham is confident he’s ready, Christian should become the Lakers’ starting center with his ability to shoot the basketball from deep and protect the rim.

Ultimately, Anthony Davis wants to play the four and the Lakers want to play two bigs, which means that Christian Wood should eventually become the Lakers’ fifth starter as opposed to Rui Hachimura or Cam Reddish.

Why It Doesn’t Matter Who Starts for Lakers

Ultimately, who starts for the Lakers doesn’t really matter because all the team’s viable starting lineups are championship caliber with two superstars and a talented deep and diverse roster that can shoot, pass, and defend.

As long as Davis and James are healthy and playing at their peak, this Lakers roster is too deep and diverse with plug-and-play rotation players who shoot, rebound, pass, defend not to contend for a championship.
It’s not going to make a difference whether it’s Hachimura, Reddish, or Wood who becomes the fifth starter alongside James, Davis, Reaves, and Russell. In fact, there’s a good chance all three could start at some point.

During their championship run in 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup featured JaVale McGee starting at center to begin the season, Dwight Howard to close out the season, and Anthony Davis during the playoffs.
There’s a possible scenario where the Lakers begin the season with Rui Hachimura as the fifth starter, switch to Cam Reddish midway through the season, and finally go two-bigs with Christian Wood at five in the playoffs.

For a team as deep and diverse as these Lakers, who plays to close out quarters, halves, and games could be more important than who starts the game, provided the starters don’t consistently fall way behind opponents. Especially for the regular season, the Lakers would be wise to take full advantage of their depth and diversity by limiting the time played by both Anthony Davis and LeBron James to less than 30 minutes per game.

Ultimately, how Hachimura, Reddish, and Wood actually play on the court, fill their roles, and fit with the other Lakers starters will determine who ends up being the fifth starter. That’s what camp and preseason are for. Unlike other seasons, the Lakers enter camp with major positional battles both in the back and front courts. With lots of questions that need to be answered, the Lakers floor is the playoffs and ceiling championship.

The Lakers are extremely fortunate that they were able to build a roster so deep and diverse that it allows them to create multiple different starting lineups good enough to compete for and win an NBA championship.

Could Lakers Pull Off Mega Midseason Trade But Keep Championship Depth?

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Thanks to great moves at last season’s trade deadline and this offseason, the Lakers now find themselves with the deepest and most talented roster and the most legitimate tradable contracts since signing LeBron James.

That bodes well for the Lakers’ championship hopes for next season and for their chances to pull off a blockbuster move before the trade deadline to upgrade their roster from championship contender to title favorite.
The Lakers find themselves in the enviable position of not having to make a move to compete for a championship but they won’t hesitate to swing for the fences if the right player or players were suddenly to become available.

Everybody knows the Lakers would like to trade for a third superstar to play alongside LeBron and AD, help win a championship this season, and then replace James whenever he decides to retire or leave in free agency. The Lakers still have two open roster spots to fill and are hoping to add enough depth so they’ll still have a strong 10-man rotation even after trading two or three current players for a third star before the deadline.

While Rob Pelinka has done a masterful job rebuilding the team on the court, he’s done an even better job cleaning up and optimizing the Lakers salary cap so he has the trading chips to pursue a third star or superstar. Pelinka has built this roster for a big trade. While Reaves is throwing his hat in the ring to be the team’s third star, the Lakers will be on a mission and know this could be their best chance to get another ring for LeBron.

If the Lakers start strong, stay healthy, and get winning play from their starters and rotation, major trading chips and key wild card projects, they can still have championship caliber depth after trading for a third star.

What Would Lakers’ Mega Trade Packages Look Like?

Here are three proposed Laker trades for a $40 million star or stars built upon a package of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Top-5 protected 2029 first round pick and 2030 first round pick swap.

There’s a consensus among analysts that the package the Lakers will likely be pushing as they approach the trade deadline will include D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and necessary draft capital. The Lakers’ problem is they won’t trade James, Davis, or Reaves, which means there’s simply no way to match salaries to trade for a pair of stars or a superstar making $40 million without including Russell and Hachimura.

Russell’s $17.3 million, Hachimura’s $15.7 million, and Hood-Schifino’s $3.7M give the the Lakers $36.7 million in valuable tradable salaries, enough to bring back a player or players making $40 million per year. Players whom the Lakers might pursue include Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Pascal Siakam, Kyrie Irving, Kristaps Porzingis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Brandon Ingram, DeMar DeRozan, Myles Turner, and Buddy Hield.

While Russell or Hachimura could play so well the Lakers could decide to keep one or both of them and settle for just minor tweaks or no changes to the roster, the Lakers have positioned themselves for a blockbuster trade. Rob Pelinka sees this as an opportunity not only to reinforce the roster to make a run to win another championship for LeBron but also possibly to make a big move to actually land the player or players to replace James.

The Lakers love the roster they have right now but understand that this season is an opportunity to win their 18th NBA championship as well as a chance to trade for third superstar to eventually replace LeBron James.

What Would Lakers’ Post-Trade Depth Charts Look Like?

Here is how the projected depth charts for the Lakers would look like after making the three blockbuster trades used above as examples of possible deadline trades by L.A. In each case, Lakers still end up with deep rosters.

Looking at the above depth charts, trading for a superstar like Trae Young or Zach LaVine or a pair of second-tier stars like Myles Turner and Buddy Hield would greatly upgrade the firepower of the Lakers’ starting lineup. 
The Lakers would be trading two starters for two starters from the Pacers and two starters for one starter from the Hawks or Bulls, which then opens up an opportunities to play two bigs or start Cam Reddish at small forward.

What also jumps out from the above depth charts is how important the Lakers’ last two open roster spots could be, especially if they can land an impact player like Christian Woods for just the veteran’s minimum pay. Depth always looks better on paper but often falls prey to reality as players don’t live up to expectations or get injured. Because of so many wild cards, the Lakers ceiling is exceptionally high and their floor exceptionally low.

Because of the rule changes which prevent teams who are over the first tax threshold from signing any buyout candidates, the Lakers are likely to keep their 15th roster spot open for potential star quality buyout candidates. There’s definitely a possibility of an older veteran player getting released and becoming available in time to be eligible to participate in the playoffs. As a team that can sign buyouts, the Lakers will keep their 15th spot open.

The Lakers need to stay healthy and hope questions about almost every player on the roster get answered positively but a midseason trade for a superstar or pair of stars to this team could lead to their winning #18.

How Hayes And Reddish ‘Wild Cards’ Could Be Key to Trade

The Lakers’ odds of still having championship quality bench depth after trading multiple players for a third superstar or pair of second-tier stars could depend on how wild cards Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish play.

The Lakers hope signing Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish, the #8 and #10 picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, will yield the same lightning-in-a-bottle they got for trading for Rui Hachimura, the #9 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. 
Until Hachimura broke out and finished the regular season strong and excelled in the playoffs for the Lakers, all three of the Top-10 2019 draftees were considered to be players who had underperformed their draft status.

But right now, Hayes, Reddish, and Hachimura are have realistic options to start for the Lakers: Hayes at the five with Davis in a two-bigs lineup or Reddish or Hachimura at the three with James and Davis and four and five. How the three perform in training camp and preseason could very well determine who starts for the Lakers. In a perfect world, Hachimura will continue to excel as a Laker while Hayes and Reddish have breakout years.

The NBA has always been a star and superstar driven league and the Lakers roster has four players who were top-10 first round picks in LeBron James (#1), Anthony Davis (#1), D’Angelo Russell (#2), and Rui Hachimura (#9). 
The four players the Lakers were targeting via midseason trades were Trae Young (#5), Zach LaVine (#13), Myles Turner (#11), and Buddy Hield (#6), which would give the Lakers five or six players who were top-13 picks.

The Lakers need all three of their 2019 Top-10 draft picks to have career seasons so they can pull off a mega midseason trade for a third star or superstar and still have championship caliber depth left after the trade.