(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers finally signed Christian Wood.
They had been keeping tabs on the former Dallas Mavericks big man since the start of the offseason, but they didn’t agree on terms until this week.
However, even though most people thought he would slide into the starting lineup right next to Anthony Davis, Jovan Buha of The Athletic recently reported that they plan to start Rui Hachimura instead (via NBACentral).
Rui Hachimura is expected to start over Christian Wood on the Lakers, per @jovanbuha pic.twitter.com/JTXdxwlpMr
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 7, 2023
That means that Davis will have to play at the five, which is a position he’s never enjoyed playing, and he’s gone on record to say that.
The Lakers then figure to start D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Hachimura, and Davis, a lineup with plenty of size and not enough shooting.
Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince, and Wood will provide depth off the bench for Darvin Ham’s team.
On paper, that doesn’t sound like a team that could compete at the highest level, and if it wasn’t for James and Davis, they wouldn’t even sniff the play-in tournament.
However, this team meshed perfectly since they were assembled midseason, and one could argue that their offseason pickups have been quite positive.
The Lakers were just four wins away from the NBA Finals, and even though they were swept by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets, they had a chance to win every single one of those matchups.
Will this team fare better or will we see another midseason roster overhaul?
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