Lakers News: Starting 5 Announced For LA's Critical Home Stand Against Pelicans
We know what you're wondering, Los Angeles Lakers fans.
Will small-ball-obsessed LA head coach Darvin Ham trot out his preferred tiny backcourt of Dennis Schröder and D'Angelo Russell in tandem, much as he did the equally horrible pair of Schröder and now-ex-Laker Patrick Beverley.
Schröder is a totally fine player, but he thrives the most with the ball in his hands. Thus, the time has come for him to be moved to a bench role.
And that time has come! Following an absolutely miserable Schroder performance Monday (he went 1-for-7), Ham is finally, mercifully going the LeBron James + shooters route we've all been dying to see.
Per Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, LA will start Russell at point guard, new addition Malik Beasley at shooting guard, LeBron James at small forward, Jarred Vanderbilt at power forward, and Anthony Davis in the frontcourt spots.
Anyone with a working set of eyes should realize that volume shooter Malik Beasley absolutely deserved the nod over Schröder, which shifts Russell to his more natural point guard position. Granted, he's a bit of a chucker, but he does take 8.6 tries a game and connect on them at a league average rate, which I'll take over Schröder's ineffective off-ball play. Vanderbilt getting the nod is a bit of a surprise, albeit a welcome one. He's not much of a shooter, but his activity, defense, and underrated passing touch clearly made a lasting impression on Ham. Also, hey, the Lakers are size-appropriate for their positions now!
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