– Reggie Bullock
In two games with the Lakers so far, Reggie Bullock has already been placed into the starting lineup for the Lakers. While this came as a surprise, the move makes sense with Rajon Rondo and LeBron James being the primary ball-handlers with Lonzo Ball out.
Staggering James and Rondo’s time on the court together is a smart move by Luke Walton, as there is no backup back point guard for Rondo if he was starting. Instead, Walton has Rondo to lead the second unit, and he is still able to play over 30 minutes a game.
Adding Bullock into the starting lineup also gives James a reliable three-point threat. In his second game with the team against the Atlanta Hawks, Bullock played quite well. He was able to total 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field, and he went 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.
With Bullock and Kuzma on the court in the starting five, James now has two players that can stretch the floor for him. Since Bullock has had a little more time to get used to playing with his new teammates, we should continue to see him play as he did against the Hawks. If Bullock hits three-pointers to his capabilities, it will help strengthen a weakness of the Lakers this season. In what should be a high-scoring game, Bullock could have a big outing.