Los Angeles Lakers: Dion Waiters deserves more minutes than J.R. Smith

The Los Angeles Lakers have two interesting players in Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith.

The Los Angeles Lakers have some new faces in the Orlando bubble that have not played a single game with the team.

Dion Waiters signed with the Lakers right before the league’s hiatus and was set to make his regular-season debut and fight for a postseason rotation spot, but never got the chance.

Then, in response to Avery Bradley opting not to re-join the Los Angeles Lakers in the Orlando bubble, the team went out and signed veteran shooting guard and former LeBron James teammate, J.R. Smith.

Despite Bradley opening up minutes for the team by not heading to the Orlando bubble, there still are not many minutes to go around for Waiters and Smith. The Lakers are fairly deep in the backcourt with the likes of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso and Quinn Cook.

There will be some minutes allocated for Smith and Waiters and the three scrimmage games and eight seeding games will help Frank Vogel determine exactly how the two veteran guards will fit into the rotation.

The answer should already be clear before the 11 games even begin: Dion Waiters deserves to have more minutes than J.R. Smith.

Barring Smith coming into Orlando and playing absolutely out of his mind, here are the primary reasons for Waiters getting the advantage in minutes.