Lakers News: LA Making Change To Starting Lineup For Game 6
Just as Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham hinted he might, he will indeed make an adjustment to his starting five tonight against the Golden State Warriors.
Shams Charnia of The Athletic reports that starting point guard D'Angelo Russell's typical backup, Dennis Schröder, is being promoted to join D-Lo in LA's starting backcourt. Jarred Vanderbilt, who played just a hair under 11 minutes in LA's Game 5 loss, is being demoted to a reserve role. Austin Reaves will shift to small forward, LeBron James will move up a spot to power forward, and Anthony Davis will of course remain the Lakers' starting center.
Vanderbilt was an imperative component of LA's defensive attack against Stephen Curry through the series' first few games, before Ham shifted Reaves onto the Warriors All-Star as his primary defender. Schröder adds a bit more scoring punch, and while he's not quite at Vanderbilt's level as a defender, he more than holds his own on that end of the hardwood, too.
Game 6 of LA's ongoing playoff series against the Warriors will tip off tonight, in Crypto.com Arena, at 7 p.m. PT. The Lakers lead the series 3-2. A Los Angeles victory tonight would allow LA to advance to its first Western Conference Finals since 2020. LeBron James has won his last 15 potential closeout contests at home.
Are you following us on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube yet? Join the conversation as we discuss the latest Lakers news and rumors with fans like you!
