The Lakers’ Lineup Shuffle: A Quest for Balance Between Offense and Defense

An Evolving Starting Lineup

The Los Angeles Lakers, amidst a tumultuous 2022-23 season, reached the halfway point with a hard-fought 112-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Head coach Darvin Ham, seeking stability and cohesion, reverted to the starting lineup that commenced the season, featuring LeBron James and Anthony Davis flanked by Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Taurean Prince. This marked the 11th different starting lineup employed by Ham this season, underscoring the team’s ongoing search for the ideal combination of players.

Ham’s Explanation and Future Plans

Ham, after the game, elucidated his decision to return to the original starting lineup. He emphasized the desire to surround his two star players, James and Davis, with skilled and efficient shot-makers. He expressed confidence in the consistency demonstrated by these five players throughout the season and declared that, barring injuries, this lineup would remain intact for the foreseeable future.

The Quest for Balance: Offense and Defense

The victory against the Thunder brought the Lakers’ record to 20-21, with a 3-3 record when fielding the aforementioned starting lineup. Ham’s previous lineup adjustment, implemented during a mid-season slump, prioritized defense, surrounding James and Davis with defensive-minded players like Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Prince. However, Monday’s shift, necessitated in part by Reddish’s knee injury, swung the pendulum back towards offensive firepower.

Davis’ Optimism and Defensive Focus

Anthony Davis, the Lakers’ All-Star big man, expressed optimism about the new lineup’s offensive potential, acknowledging their ability to score. However, he emphasized the importance of defensive solidity, highlighting it as the key to separating themselves from their opponents and securing more victories. The Lakers’ collective defensive effort against the Thunder was commendable, holding them to 41.7% shooting from the field and 30.6% from three-point range, while also amassing 7 steals and 9 blocks.

Addressing the Rebounding Woes

Despite their defensive prowess, the Lakers struggled on the glass, allowing the Thunder to grab 13 offensive rebounds and outscoring them 21-9 in second-chance points. LeBron James, the team’s leader, acknowledged the need for collective rebounding efforts, particularly in assisting Davis, who had an impressive 27 points and 15 rebounds. James emphasized the importance of sharing the ball offensively, minimizing turnovers, and providing defensive support for one another, especially in rebounding.

The Impact on Trade Deadline Decisions

The performance of this new lineup will significantly influence the franchise’s direction as the February 8 trade deadline approaches. Ham acknowledged the possibility of trades to improve the team but stressed the need for the current roster to buckle down, focus on details, and maximize their potential. He expressed confidence that the talent in the locker room was sufficient to achieve success.

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LOS ANGELES — The Lakers hit the halfway mark of the season with a 112-105 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, and in Game No. 41, coach Darvin Ham went back to the starting lineup he opened the season with.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis were flanked by Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Taurean Prince to start the game against Oklahoma City, one of 11 different starting units that Ham has implemented this season and one he plans to continue to trot out.

“Just wanted to put as much skill and shot-making on the floor around our two captains,” Ham explained after the game. “And those five, they’ve been pretty much our most consistent guys throughout the season thus far. So just put them together.

“For the foreseeable future, that’s going to be our lineup, barring any type of injury.”

The win brought the Lakers to 20-21 on the season and 3-3 with that starting group. Last month, with his team stuck in a post in-season tournament rut, Ham shuffled the lineup to prioritize defense — surrounding James and Davis with Prince, Cam Reddish and Jarred Vanderbilt to tip off L.A.’s last game against the Thunder, a 129-120 win on Dec. 23.

Monday’s shift — prompted in part by Reddish’s sore left knee that could sideline him for several more games, sources told ESPN — swung the pendulum back to offense.

“I think we can score,” Davis said of the five-man unit. “I think for us it’s just on the defensive end. Are we able to play defense how we did tonight? … I think the defense is what’s going to separate us and get us more wins.”

L.A. held the Thunder (27-12) to 41.7% shooting from the field and 30.6% from 3 while amassing 7 steals and 9 blocks as a team.

One area that hurt the Lakers was the glass. The Thunder grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and outscored the Lakers 21-9 in second-chance points. James, who had 27 points and 15 rebounds, said the Lakers need to do a better job of rebounding as a team, especially to help Davis.

“We got to make sure we’re flying in there with him, cleaning up the glass,” James said. “We can’t keep putting it on AD all the time. We got to do a better job of rebounding the basketball, especially myself. I got to come up with more rebounds, come up with more loose balls, and that just helps our team be that much better.”

The Lakers have been one of the league’s worst rebounding teams this season, ranking 28th in the NBA in rebounding percentage.

Ham said he’ll consider making changes to the lineup if the Lakers continue to struggle on the boards, but he wants to give this group a chance to prove itself.

“We’ve got to give this lineup an opportunity to gel and develop some chemistry,” Ham said. “We’ve got to give them the opportunity to work through some of these things. But if we don’t see progress, then we’ll have to make some adjustments.”

The Lakers have a tough test coming up on Wednesday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Trade Deadline Looms

The Lakers’ performance in the coming weeks will likely determine whether they make any moves at the trade deadline. Ham said he’s open to making a deal if it can improve the team, but he’s not going to force anything.

“I’m not going to sit here and say we’re going to blow this thing up,” Ham said. “We have a lot of talent in this locker room. We just need to find a way to put it all together.”

The Lakers have been linked to a number of players in trade rumors, including Kyrie Irving, Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. But Ham said he’s not going to get caught up in the speculation.

“I’m not really paying attention to all the rumors,” Ham said. “I’m just focused on coaching this team and trying to get us to the playoffs.”

The Lakers have until Feb. 9 to make a trade.