4. Spencer Dinwiddie
Darvin Ham whittled his way down to an eight-man rotation by the conference finals last year. The Lakers will put a larger burden on their best players and cut things down again this season. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves are locked in, but the remaining three spots could be mixed and matched based on matchups.
Dinwiddie was traded from Brooklyn to Toronto at the deadline, and the Raptors were quick to waive him. The 6’5 guard helped the Mavericks reach the conference finals in 2022 and was the Nets' starting point guard as they were bounced in the first round by the 76ers last season.
Dinwiddie feels like a no-brainer option to be in their playoff rotation, but not so fast. He is averaging just 6.3 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game since joining the Lakers. The 30-year-old guard is still learning his teammates and has struggled in purple and gold.
Beyond that, Los Angeles is loaded with guards. Reaves and Russell are likely the team’s playoff starters in the backcourt. Gabe Vincent has played just a handful of contests this season but is finally healthy and ready to contribute. The Lakers are also trying to find wing minutes for Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Taurean Prince. It could leave Dinwiddie as the odd man out of their playoff rotation, especially if he is struggling in a series.