Projected Lakers starting lineup Game 2: Changes Darvin Ham must make

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets in a game that is going to be painfully remembered for a long time if the team loses this series. Los Angeles looked like the better team for most of the game but Darvin Ham trying to be cute in the first half ultimately swung the outcome.

Luckily, it is just the first game of a seven-game series and the Lakers can still come out of Denver in a good spot. If the team can steal Game 2 and head back to LA with a 1-1 tie then the Lakers would have essentially stolen home-court advantage back from the Nuggets.

But if the Lakers are going to do that then Ham is going to have to adjust and make changes. That means running out an entirely new starting lineup that will (hopefully) have better results than the starting lineup that Ham rolled out in Game 1.

Projected Lakers starting lineup for Game 2 vs Nuggets:

• Dennis Schroder
• Austin Reaves
• LeBron James
• Rui Hachimura
• Anthony Davis

This is the lineup that seems to have the most success against the Nuggets. It definitely will be the closing lineup in Game 2 and it should be the starting lineup as well. However, nothing is yet set in stone, so Ham could end up sticking to his ways and ignore this feedback.

Los Angeles cannot afford to go small against this Nuggets team and the first half of Game 1 showed that. Instead, the team needs to add size and give Rui Hachimura his first start of the postseason. In addition to being a solid offensive weapon, Hachimura played fantastic defense on Nikola Jokic and kept him looking human in the second half.

This opens up a few things for the Lakers. This allows Anthony Davis to roam freely around the court, which is when he is at his best defensively. Shackling him full-time to Jokic takes away his defensive impact elsewhere. He is still there for help and to switch but this also allows him to float around the rim and keep Denver from driving to the cup.

It also gives the Lakers more flexibility with switches. Dennis Schroder’s athleticism is better for Denver’s pick-and-roll offense and having another option with size instead of D’Angelo Russell to help on these switches will make life easier.

Many would argue that Russell should still be in the starting lineup but the team is better off with Schroder out there. Russell can still play a prominent role in the rotation but the team cannot afford to let the Nuggets outright hunt D’Lo like they did in Game 1.

Then when subs need to be made D’Lo can come into the game alongside Jarred Vanderbilt. You are losing some offensive impact with Vanderbilt out there but you are gaining it right back with Russell. Vanderbilt’s defense will help make up for the lack of defense provided by Russell.

The Lakers just have to hope that this doesn’t cause Russell to quit on the team, which is somehow a legitimate concern in the Western Conference Finals.