The Los Angeles Lakers needed to keep the band together, mostly because of salary-cap reasons. So, they started off the NBA offsesaon by bringing D’Angelo Russell back.
But Russell closed out the season on a very low note. He lost his starting job in the playoffs, and it’s not the first time that he’s gone ice-cold from the floor in the postseason.
With that in mind, Darvin Ham might turn to former Miami Heat PG Gabe Vincent to be the starter. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the position could be up for grabs during training camp.
D’Angelo Russell Might Not Start For The Lakers
“The projected lineups are fluid. Russell is the early favorite to start at point guard, but Vincent could earn the spot if he outplays him in training camp, team sources told The Athletic,” wrote Buha.
“The Lakers also have plenty of positional flexibility, with Jarred Vanderbilt, Prince, Max Christie and Reddish each capable of playing at least two positions,” the report added.
Russell is leading the race to be the starter, but he’ll have to demonstrate that he’s good enough to keep the job. He hasn’t exactly thrived under pressure, so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.