Injuries have tested the Lakers’ depth from the jump this season.
After a summer when they looked to add more talent to its bench, the purple and gold then saw those reserves immediately placed into larger-than-expected
roles with mixed results.
However, the team’s return to Los Angeles brought with it a return to full health. After their first practice on Monday with all 14 players, the team had the full roster active for Tuesday’s win against the Jazz.
At last, that gives us our first full picture of the Lakers’ starting lineup and rotation and a chance to see where the trust level is for the rest of the rotation.
Starters: Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton
Marcus Smart
How long will Smart be out of the starting lineup? He’s been really good this season with very few bad Marcus Smart moments and lots of good ones. He does all the little things on both ends that makes him a perfect fit in any lineup.
Jake LaRavia
After a rough road trip, LaRavia returned to LA on Tuesday and looked much better. Finding a consistent middle ground now would be a great, but he’s also been one of the most consistent players this season, too.
Jaxson Hayes
Admittedly, the sour taste of how the postseason ended with him last year was left in my mouth for some time. However, it’s impossible to argue he hasn’t been an overall positive off the bench this season, which is the role he fits best in.
Jarred Vanderbilt
Now onto the guys who seem to be out of the rotation, starting with Vando. His inability to do much offensively severely limits how much he can be on the floor with any other non-spacing center…which the Lakers have two of.
Dalton Knecht
While Dalton rebounded from his awful start to the season, he still hasn’t done enough to warrant getting minutes and may not even be the first guy out.
He’s defensive limitations mean he really needs to be hitting offensively, and he hasn’t done that this year.
Bronny James
After starting against Milwaukee, there’s a good chance Bronny only plays in garbage time now moving forward. It’s the role he’s definitely more suited for right now, even if he has also shown signs of improvement.
Maxi Kleber
Right now, Kleber feels like a very situational player. If the Lakers want to roll with a two-big look, Kleber has some value, which he showed on the road trip. Outside of that, he likely isn’t going to get playing time.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on BlueSky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
