Storyline Two: How deep will Luke Walton’s rotation go?
There is no denying that the Lakers improved their roster this season. Specifically, the depth on the roster is improved from last season. That is a good thing to have but creates some difficult decision for head coach Luke Walton.
Los Angeles looks to be at least two deep across the board, some positions even three deep. There are 12 players a night that could get minutes, but not all 12 players can each night. Right now, the Lakers don’t even have a starting lineup locked down, but it looks like it will be Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, LeBron James, Brandon Ingram and JaVale McGee to begin the season.
It would not be a surprise if that changes, as Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart have also been in the running for starting spots. What Walton does with the center spot is also going to be worth watching. There have been talks of using James, Kuzma or Beasley there for stretches. Wagner can help once he is healthy as well.
While the night-to-night decisions for a rotation will be difficult, having depth is nice. The Lakers were crushed by injuries last season and struggled to overcome them. With the improved depth, they should be able to absorb injuries better this time around.