After making an unexpected run to the Western Conference Finals last spring, the Los Angeles Lakers had legitimate championship aspirations coming into this season. They maintained most of the core that got them deep into last season’s playoffs, and thus big things were expected for the 2023-24 campaign.
However, at almost the halfway point of the schedule, they find themselves in 11th place in the Western Conference with a dismal 19-21 record. They have lost 12 of their last 17 games ever since they won the in-season tournament.
Head coach Darvin Ham has gone with one new starting lineup after another, partly due to an array of injuries. On Monday evening against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he will roll out yet another starting five, but it will be the one he rolled with down the stretch of last season.
Darvin Ham said the Lakers are going back to the group that finished last season, but has yet to be featured this season in part due to injuries:
Russell, Reaves, Vanderbilt, LeBron + AD.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 16, 2024
Forward Cam Reddish, who has consistently been in the starting lineup for much of this season, is out with a knee ailment. Meanwhile, after playing very poorly in December and being moved to the bench, guard D’Angelo Russell will be starting again.
For the last few weeks, Lakers fans have been asking Ham to return to the starting lineup he used last spring. They will finally get to see it against the 27-11 Thunder on Monday.
UPDATE: Taurean Prince will be starting alongside Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Anthony Davis instead of Jarred Vanderbilt.
I followed up with Ham after the pregame press conference and he told me he misheard my question and assumed I was asking if they were going back to the starters from last game before I finished asking it. The starters tonight:
LeBron
AD
Prince
Reaves
Russell https://t.co/1uoVGCltT0— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 16, 2024
