Lakers (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers spared no expense in revamping their roster this past offseason with a slew of interesting moves.
Kicking things off with a blockbuster trade for a former MVP, it would be hard to top that during the rest of the offseason, but the team managed to add some stellar complementary pieces on the free-agent market. Comparing this current roster with last season’s, it seems safe to say that, at least on paper, the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers look like a far better team.
Although the offseason is not quite over yet, it looks like the Lakers will not make too many more seismic changes to their roster the rest of the way.
The biggest question now is how coach Frank Vogel will approach piecing together the team’s new starting five as he has plenty of talent to choose from. With that being said, here are the locks, fringe, and some potential break-in candidates for the Los Angeles Lakers lineup in 2021-22.
2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup: Who are the locks to start?
LeBron James
There will not be too much tension in unveiling these first three. LeBron James will obviously start for the Lakers next season. The four-time league MVP is coming off a year where he played just 45 games, the fewest in his career. That was due to an ankle injury that sidelined him for a massive part of last season and hindered him throughout the postseason. With a full offseason to recover, James should head into next season rejuvenated with chasing his prestigious fifth title, his second with the Los Angles Lakers, at the forefront of his mind.
Anthony Davis
Another Laker that spent a large portion of last season on the sidelines was Anthony Davis. The big man played just 36 regular-season games, also the fewest in his career, as he battled through numerous injuries, which impacted his playoff performance. Davis will unquestionably reclaim his spot as LA’s starting power forward and will look to have a bounce-back year. A healthy A.D. is one of the best players in the association, and he will certainly have a chip on his shoulder to prove his doubters wrong next year.
Russell Westbrook
LA’s big splash this offseason was trading for Russell Westbrook, the 2016-17 MVP, from the Washington Wizards. They gave up several key players to get Westbrook, but he will certainly help form a star-studded trio alongside James and Davis. While the 32-year-old is far from the perfect fit for this team, trading for him will alleviate extended ball-handling duties from James when he needs a breather. Westbrook returns home to Los Angeles to play point guard for a championship contender, and it will be compelling to see how he fits.
stellar complementary pieces on the free-agent market. </a>Comparing this current roster with last season’s, it seems safe to say that, at least on paper, the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers look like a far better team.</p>
<p>Although the offseason is not quite over yet, it looks like the Lakers will not make too many more seismic changes to their roster the rest of the way.</p>
<p>The biggest question now is how coach Frank Vogel will approach piecing together the team’s new starting five as he has plenty of talent to choose from. With that being said, here are the locks, fringe, and some potential break-in candidates for the Los Angeles Lakers lineup in 2021-22.</p>
<h2>2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup: Who are the locks to start?</h2>
<h3>LeBron James</h3>
<p>There will not be too much tension in unveiling these first three. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/23/los-angeles-lakers-starting-5-locks/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jamesle01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">LeBron James</a> will obviously start for the Lakers next season. The four-time league MVP is coming off a year where he played just 45 games, the fewest in his career. That was due to an ankle injury that sidelined him for a massive part of last season and hindered him throughout the postseason. With a full offseason to recover, James should head into next season rejuvenated with chasing his prestigious fifth title, his second with the Los Angles Lakers, at the forefront of his mind.</p>
<h3>Anthony Davis</h3>
<p>Another Laker that spent a large portion of last season on the sidelines was Anthony Davis. The big man played just 36 regular-season games, also the fewest in his career, as he battled through numerous injuries, which impacted his playoff performance. Davis will unquestionably reclaim his spot as LA’s starting power forward and will look to have a bounce-back year. A healthy A.D. is one of the best players in the association, and he will certainly have a chip on his shoulder to prove his doubters wrong next year.</p>
<h3>Russell Westbrook</h3>
<p>LA’s big splash this offseason was<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/23/los-angeles-lakers-starting-5-locks/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/29/nba-trade-rumor-westbrook-lakers/"> trading for Russell Westbrook, </a>the 2016-17 MVP, from the Washington Wizards. They gave up several key players to get Westbrook, but he will certainly help form a star-studded trio alongside James and Davis. While the 32-year-old is <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/23/los-angeles-lakers-starting-5-locks/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/23/lakers-pros-cons-russell-westbrook-trade/">far from the perfect fit for this team,</a> trading for him will alleviate extended ball-handling duties from James when he needs a breather. Westbrook returns home to Los Angeles to play point guard for a championship contender, and it will be compelling to see how he fits.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/23/los-angeles-lakers-starting-5-locks/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Fringe Candidates </a>
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<img class="wp-image-434225 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/23/los-angeles-lakers-starting-5-locks/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1316354187.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Lakers: Talen Horton-Tucker, Denver Nuggets: Austin Rivers" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1316354187.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1316354187-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Lakers (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup: Who are the fringe candidates?</h2>
<h3>Talen Horton-Tucker</h3>
<p>The biggest question for the Lakers now is who will start at shooting guard. Among their top priorities this offseason was re-signing restricted free agent Talen Horton-Tucker, and they managed to do so relatively easily with a three-year deal worth $32 million. Tucker is clearly someone they value in this lineup, and he could potentially get the nod in the starting lineup next season. However, that is not guaranteed as the guard is merely 20 years old, and might be best suited to continue coming off the bench. Who knows what Vogel has in mind, but Tucker will get consideration for the role. He took a massive leap from year one to year two with LA, and year three could be his greatest yet, particularly if he sees such an increased role.</p>
<h3>Wayne Ellington</h3>
<p>If Vogel is looking for a more experienced player to fill the two-guard spot over Tucker, he should look no further than Wayne Ellington. The 33-year-old guard was one of the many former Lakers to rejoin the team this offseason, and he has the skill set that would make him a perfect fit next to James, Davis, and Westbrook. That would be because of his sharpshooting, making a living in this league as a lethal threat from the outside. Coming off one of the most productive seasons in his career, the journeyman could find himself starting for Los Angeles next season and thriving on the offensive end with no shortage of open looks from the perimeter.</p>
<h3>Marc Gasol</h3>
<p>In addition to the shooting guard situation, one question the Lakers face will be who starts at the center position next year. Andre Drummond, who started for the team in 21 games after coming over in the buyout market last season, left in free agency to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers after he never quite found his footing with the Lakers. His departure makes it seem like Marc Gasol will slide into the starting lineup. Gasol was benched for Drummond last season, which was certainly frustrating for the 36-year-old, who envisioned a bigger role when he signed with the team in the previous free agency period. With Drummond gone and Gasol set to return to LA, he seems like the likeliest candidate to earn the starting center spot, but nothing is set in stone just yet.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/23/los-angeles-lakers-starting-5-locks/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Potential Break-Ins </a>
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<img class="wp-image-412165 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/23/los-angeles-lakers-starting-5-locks/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1068,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1278497301.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Lakers: Dwight Howard" width="1600" height="1068" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1278497301.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1278497301-768x513.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Lakers (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup: Who are the break-in candidates?</h2>
<h3>Trevor Ariza</h3>
<p>The likelihood of Trevor Ariza starting for the Lakers next season is a long-shot, but not impossible following some recent comments from Anthony Davis. Los Angeles Times’ writer Brad Turner recently reported that Davis told Westbrook he was<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/23/los-angeles-lakers-starting-5-locks/"https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2021-07-29/lakers-acquire-russell-westbrook-wizards-trade-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> willing to play more center</a> when the team needed it. Davis at center has always been a hot topic of discussion, but if he is genuinely okay with playing the position at times, LA would need a starter to fill in with small-ball. Ariza would be the perfect fit due to his 3-and-D prowess, making a career off shooting the long ball and playing some fantastic defense. At 36-years-old, Ariza could claim a spot in the starting lineup due to his experience and stature as a start in this league, backed by a championship ring with LA in 2009. Some will argue that Carmelo Anthony should be listed in Ariza’s place, but he seems better suited to stick in a bench role full time.</p>
<h3>Malik Monk</h3>
<p>Circling back to the shooting guard predicament, Malik Monk is a name that could sneak his way into the conversation. The guard is coming off a career year with the Charlotte Hornets where he averaged 11.7 points per game off the bench, but what stood out the most was his shooting from deep. Monk shot 40.1 percent from three on five attempts per game last season, meaning he will give the Los Angeles Lakers another solid knockdown shooter, on paper. He will be competing with Tucker and Ellington for that starting spot, and it should not be a surprise if he ultimately wins the job.</p>
<h3>Dwight Howard</h3>
<p>While the aforementioned Gasol seems like the day one starter for the Lakers at the center position next year, Dwight Howard could make his way into that spot fairly quickly. The Lakers signed the big man in free agency this past offseason, bringing him back to LA for the third time. He most recently helped them win the championship in 2020 by playing a key role on that team. Given his familiarity with the players and coaches, along with his play on the court, Howard could have a case to start. His lack of spacing would undoubtedly be an issue, but if Gasol does not produce at a serviceable level, promoting a reliable frontcourt piece like Howard into the starting five might be legitimately worth considering for Frank Vogel.</p>
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