Four games into the season and the Lakers have yet to win a game, with little going their way. Only Kobe Bryant has consistently performed in the starting lineup, with the other four having on-and-off performances. Jordan Hill has come on as of late, but was marginally productive in the first two games.
Aside from Hill and Bryant, only one other Laker is averaging double figures scoring: Ed Davis. Davis has been one of the biggest surprises of the early season and has impressed fans with his 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds a night on just 23 minutes per night.
Despite his performance, head coach Byron Scott has no intention of inserting Davis into the starting lineup just yet.
Sorry Ed Davis fans, Byron said four games in is much too early to consider a change to the starting lineup. Said maybe 15-20 games in.
— Bill Oram (@billoram) November 2, 2014
Davis would supplant Carlos Boozer from the roster, who has been anything but impressive. While he’s averaging 9.8 points per game, nearly half his points came in the first game of the season with his 17-point performance against Houston.
Since then, Boozer has looked invisible, turning the ball over eight times against Phoenix and pedestrian nine-point outings in each. On top of that, Davis is a much more active rebounder than Boozer, averaging 1.3 more rebounds a night in fewer minutes.
It’s certainly no guarantee that Davis would succeed in the starting lineup, but with the Lakers winless and reeling, changes should be in the works.