The Los Angeles Lakers are in a slump. They have lost their last four games and need changes to rejuvenate their season. Lakers icon Lamar Odom may have the solution to the team’s problems. The two-time NBA champion suggested a new starting lineup that could flip the team’s fortunes in an instant.
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Odom suggested that the team should bring D’Angelo Russell, Taurean Prince, and Cam Reddish off the bench. The retired star wants the Lakers to start Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. That starting five would add more size and defensive presence and put the ball in James’ hands more. Odom reposted a graphic of his Lakers starting five on X, formerly known as Twitter, and captioned it:
“This starting 5 would be a problem!”
The Lakers could use Austin Reaves‘ offensive talent right from the start. The young guard has been in spectacular form, scoring at least 20 points in six of his last seven appearances. During the same stretch, D’Angelo Russell has scored more than 15 points just once. In fact, the veteran guard has failed to score at least ten points in five of his last nine games.
The Lakers’ versatile forward Jarred Vanderbilt has played only eight games this season. However, his impact on the defensive end has been noticeable. His defensive rating of 107.3 ranks in the top eight in the league. Swapping Rui Hachimura for Taurean Prince adds size but affects the Lakers’ perimeter shooting. Making that change is a stretch. However, the other two could help the Lakers end their dismal form.
Lakers’ Championship hangover
The Lakers won the inaugural In-Season Tournament in dominant fashion. They went 4-0 in the group stage and continued their perfect run to the final, where they beat the Indiana Pacers 123-109. However, the Lakers have been abysmal since the end of the tournament.
They have one win in six games since the In-Season Tournament final and have slumped to 15-15. They lost 129-115 against the San Antonio Spurs, who are 4-24 this season. Worrying, they have slipped to 10th in the Western Conference standings and are staring at the prospect of having to go through the play-in to earn a playoff spot.
Following the Lakers’ 118-111 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, Anthony Davis claimed the Lakers are dealing with “a lot of issues,” especially with injuries to players. He added that he’s confident that the team will figure it out but fired a warning to his teammates that they need to step up. He said:
“We’ve shown what we can be. And we’ve shown that if we don’t do the things we need to do to be successful then we’re going to continue to be on this side of our record, which is losing.”
The Lakers are 2.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks, who hold the sixth and final automatic playoff qualification spot. LeBron James and co. need to find a way to turn the tide. They have to keep pace with the heavily competitive Western Conference or risk settling for a play-in spot. The Lakers could also potentially miss the playoffs completely if.
