Rotating Starting Lineup
While it is not ideal to be playing without a player of Anthony Davis’ caliber, the Los Angeles Lakers do have some experience doing it already this season. Davis has missed five total games and the team has gone 4-1 during that time.
In those five games, they have started two different players; Markieff Morris and Kyle Kuzma. Morris started in two of them, Kuzma in three. That is a trend that should continue going forward.
Frank Vogel should use this time to tinker with the starting five and different lineup combinations depending on the opposition. Morris and Kuzma have different skill sets that will provide Vogel a chance to adjust on the fly.
Kuzma is coming into his own this season, rebounding effectively and re-finding his shooting stroke from the 3-point line. He is currently playing career-low minutes per game, but he is having arguably his best season with the Lakers.
Morris brings more size and defense to the starting five. He has helped chip in at center and could be the first person the Lakers go with to soak up Davis’ minutes there. If the Lakers play against a bigger frontcourt, he could be the pick to start at power forward.
Perhaps Los Angeles is facing a perimeter-heavy team and wants to go smaller, Wesley Matthews could be used. The veteran wing is a capable 3-point shooter and strong defender. Alex Caruso could also fit the bill.
Replacing Anthony Davis is an impossible task, but the Lakers have the roster depth to compensate for now. Mixing and matching their lineups in won’t only help in the short-term, but the long term as well. If another injury were to pop up, the team would be prepared from the experience gained in the upcoming weeks.
