Dwight Howard
The last player on the Los Angeles Lakers who deserves consideration during crunch time is backup center, Dwight Howard. Although Howard is not the all-star he once was, he has arguably been the Lakers’ third-best player this season.
He is currently shooting an absurd 73% from the field, and he has been an exception rebounder, putting up 7.4 rebounds per game in only an average of 19.2 minutes an outing.
Howard has played in the clutch multiple times this season alongside front court teammate Anthony Davis at the power forward position, which gives the Lakers interior defense, and better rebounding opportunities against their opponents.
Howard may see an increase in his minutes during the playoffs due to his reliability and vast playoff experience. He has been an essential piece for the Lakers all season and is very deserving of getting minutes during the clutch come playoff time.
All of these players should be trusted by Frank Vogel and the Lakers’ coaching staff to perform well in the clutch in the playoffs. This is the most well constructed Lakers roster in a very long time, and it will be fascinating to see who steps up when needed.
The team chemistry is at all-time high as every player is more focused on winning, rather than who gets to finish out games. Cases can be made for almost all the players on the roster to be on the court in close games, so here’s hoping they show up!