The overlooked position battle that will determine how Lakers play in 2024-25

The Los Angeles Lakers have constructed a roster that projects to be stronger than most are giving it credit for. Assuming the team can avoid the injuries that decimated its second unit in 2023-24, it should be able to return to the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

While the position battle between Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt at forward is well-documented as crucial to the Lakers' success, the uncertainty at point guard is flying under the radar.

Los Angeles has consistently fielded intriguing names at the point guard position during the LeBron James era. The revolving door began with Lonzo Ball, continued with Rajon Rondo, and controversially led to a Russell Westbrook era that was bookended by Dennis Schröder.

D'Angelo Russell has generally started at point guard since the Lakers acquired him in 2023, but the events of a tumultuous offseason have called the stability at the position into question.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers have been shopping Russell in trade discussions since he accepted his player option in June. A deal hasn't yet been completed, but the fact that he's being included in negotiations is a sign of an unstable role within the rotation.

As such, the question has quietly arisen: Until a trade actually goes through, is Russell still the best, let alone most likely choice to start at point guard during the 2024-25 season?

The case for D'Angelo Russell

Russell has struggled to live up to his full potential during the playoffs. It's an undeniable fact that has informed the entirety of the trade rumors that operate under the belief that the Lakers need an upgrade at point guard.

For as true as that may be, Russell is on a shortlist of players who can produce as well as he does in three of the most crucial areas of the game.

Russell finished the 2023-24 season with averages of 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 3.0 three-point field goals made per game. He did so while shooting the lights out, converting at a clip of .456/.415/.828.

In the process, Russell joined Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, Tyrese Maxey, and Donovan Mitchell as the only players to average at least 18.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 three-point field goals made per game in 2023-24.

If that isn't enough to intrigue you, try the fact that he joined Stephen Curry, Lillard, and Kyle Lowry as the only players in NBA history to hit those marks while shooting 40.0 percent or better from beyond the arc. Statistics only count for so much, but Russell's are a rare breed.

It's easy to say that the Lakers need a better option at point guard, but there truthfully aren't many who qualify as such around the NBA.

The case for Gabe Vincent

If it's not Russell who starts at point guard, then the most likely option on the current roster is Gabe Vincent. It would mark a massive shift in philosophy, as Vincent operates on the offensive end of the floor in an almost entirely different manner than Russell.

If the Lakers are willing to sacrifice three-point shooting and facilitating for defense and midrange proficiency, however, Vincent would be of considerable value alongside the playmaking wings.

Vincent is a downhill player who can finish at the rim or pull up from midrange and knock down shots with commendable efficacy. That was on firm display during the 2023 Playoffs, when he broke out as a scorer as the Miami Heat made a run to the NBA Finals.

Vincent, who led the Heat in percentage of points via midrange jump shots in 2022-23, produced six 20-point games during that storied postseason stretch.

Beyond his offense is the defensive intensity that the Lakers' backcourt was missing last season. Unfortunately, one of the primary reasons they struggled to find it was the fact that Vincent missed 71 games due to injury.

It's unclear what version of Vincent the Lakers will get in 2024-25, but the fact that he shot 36.8 percent from beyond the arc in 2021-22 and starred during the playoffs in 2022-23 offers reason for intrigue.

The case for Austin Reaves

The 2023-24 Boston Celtics offered proof that teams no longer need a true point guard to run the show. Instead, the requirement is simply that there's a backcourt player who can help calm the offense down and get the team into its sets—or multiple in the case of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.

The Lakers have the unique opportunity to do something similar with Austin Reaves making the slight shift from shooting guard to the 1—due in no small part to the presence of LeBron James.

Reaves is a gifted isolation player who can create against any caliber of defense and either convert his own attempts or find the open man. It's yet to be seen how he'd handle a primary facilitating role, but it's worth noting that he played 34 percent of his minutes at point guard in 2023-24.

Vincent's injury woes played a role in that percentage, but it's fair to assume that Reaves will be the primary playmaker when they share the court in 2024-25 based on skill sets alone.

It's also impossible to escape the fact that James shoulders a heavy playmaking burden, thus making the point guard position looser in its definition. Reaves has excelled in that environment, posting career-best averages of 15.9 points and 5.5 assists per game in 2024-25.

Reaves is truthfully at his best in the off-guard role that allows him to prioritize his isolation scoring and off-ball shooting, but stretches with him at the 1 could prepare the Lakers for life after Russell.