Lakers News: OKC and LA Reveal Starting Fives for Possible Playoff Preview
Coming off of a brutal loss to the Denver Nuggets, things won't get much easier for the Lakers as they square off with the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
Led by arguably the MVP frontrunner in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC is elite on both ends of the floor while possessing depth that has swung games this season.
That being said, L.A. defeated the Thunder on December 23rd and January 15th, their two most recent meetings, both in fairly dominant fashion despite them being nearly at full health.
A lot has changed with the Lakers since then, with their offense becoming significantly better while their defense has fallen off a bit. The absence of Jarred Vanderbilt will also hurt, as they'll have no answer for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (although no team does).
The Thunder will roll out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort, and Chet Holmgren, a group that has been incredibly successful this season.
The only real asterisk is Josh Giddey, who has disappointed greatly on both ends of the floor. Expect L.A. to defend him like other teams have: placing their rim protector on him and enabling that player to roam around the floor freely to play help-side defense.
For the Lakers, Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell will join the frontcourt of Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. This group is 8-2 and has easily been their best offensive five, opening the door to what could be a potential shootout.
