Los Angeles Lakers: Why Alex Caruso should be in the starting lineup

Alex Caruso, Los Angeles Lakers (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Alex Caruso, Los Angeles Lakers (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers

Continuity

The Los Angeles Lakers have undoubtedly improved this offseason.

They have brought in a number of players who make the Lakers roster significantly deeper and allows for the Lakers to mount an even better chance at retaining the Larry O’Brien trophy for another year.

It would be extraordinarily easy for the purple and gold to make wholesale changes and switch 3 of the 5 members of the starting lineup out and slot new players in.

When it comes to the center position, the Lakers do not have a choice. They have none of the original centers they had on the roster last season.

Montrezl Harrell or Marc Gasol will be the new starting center for the Los Angeles Lakers next season. That is a given.

When it comes to the point guard position, right now the battle for the starting spot is between the shiny new point guard in Dennis Schröder or fan favorite and NBA Champion Alex Caruso.

At least, for the very start of the season, it makes more sense for the Los Angeles Lakers to roll with Caruso over Schröder.

This is how the Los Angeles Lakers starting unit should look like next season:

  • C Marc Gasol
  • PF Anthony Davis
  • SF LeBron James
  • SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
  • PG Alex Caruso

This above lineup allows for minimal disruption to come to a successful lineup that did serious damage as a collective in the NBA Playoffs, especially in the NBA Finals.

The only new member of the starting lineup is Marc Gasol.

A highly experienced, floor-spacing big man with a huge basketball IQ and who assists at a borderline elite level for a center.

That move is made out of necessity in order to maximize the potential of the starting lineup.