Lakers News: LeBron-Free Starters Announced Vs Trail Blazers Tonight

How is Darvin Ham responding to the absence of his most important offensive player?

With the fulcrum of your Los Angeles Lakers' offense, 19-time All-Star forward LeBron James, sidelined due to a left calf contusion, head coach Darvin Ham has opted to prioritize size over playmaking in his starting lineup.

Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Ham is opting to keep recently demoted shooting guard Austin Reaves on his bench (apparently to stagger the minutes of Reaves and D'Angelo Russell), and is promoting power forward Rui Hachimura to the starting four spot. Thus, the first five will be point guard Russell, shooting guard Cam Reddish (first elevated over Reaves on Friday), small forward Taurean Prince, Hachimura, and center Anthony Davis manning the middle. 

This should be a big, physical Lakers team, facing off against a very shorthanded Trail Blazers club that's just a bit talent-poor with three of its four most talented guards (Malcolm Brogdon, Anfernee Simons and rookie lottery pick Scoot Henderson) on the shelf.

Casey Hodahl of Blazers.com reports that recently upgraded former two-way player Skylar Mays, second-year guard Shaedon Sharpe, all-defense-no-offense wing Matisse Thybulle, power forward Jerami Grant, and center Deandre Ayton will comprise Portland's starting five tonight.

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