Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham’s new starting lineup raised some eyebrows in the organization, according to NBA insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
Ham is starting LeBron James, Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, Taurean Prince and Anthony Davis.
“Yes, there have been some eyebrows raised over the past 72 hours or so when the Lakers made this starting lineup change,” Buha said. “I started hearing about it Friday afternoon in talking with some people. At first, I just didn’t believe it. I was like, ‘There’s no way.’ Maybe they’re putting Vando in because ever since training camp, Darvin has basically said Vando was gonna win the starting spot over Taurean Prince. He was gonna be the fifth starter again. And that was the way LA was planning on going into the season, but he suffers that heel injury, he misses a bunch of time and ultimately comes off the bench.”
The Lakers are 1-1 since Ham created this new starting lineup. They beat the Oklahoma City Thunder and lost to the Boston Celtics.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Darvin Ham, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
“Through 18 minutes over two games, the starting lineup has a 105.0 offensive rating and 125.0 defensive rating, an abysmal minus-20.0 net rating,” Buha wrote. “Extrapolated over the course of a full season, all three marks would be league-worst marks. Against the Celtics, the Lakers were outscored by 10 points in the eight minutes the starters played together.”
Reddish and Vanderbilt are not good 3-point shooters. Reddish is shooting 30.1% from 3 this season, while Vanderbilt is 0-of-9 from beyond the arc.
The Lakers made the Western Conference Finals last season starting D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Vanderbilt, LeBron and Davis. Prince is shooting 39.4% from beyond the arc this season, so he should start since you need shooters around LeBron and Davis.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Darvin Ham, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
For what it’s worth, one NBA scout told NBA Analysis Network that the Lakers should start Reaves, Prince, Rui Hachimura, LeBron and Davis.
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