LA will need some role players to step for play-in contender fight.
Your Los Angeles Lakers will have two huge rotation players available when they kick off a five-game Crypto.com Arena home stand tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, after all.
Dennis Schröder, starting in the stead of still-injured ex-Timberwolf D’Angelo Russell, and starting center Anthony Davis, have seen their health statuses upgraded from merely “probable” to available tonight in a critical battle against a direct Western Conference play-in tournament competitor.
LA has just announced that it will run back the starting five it employed for Tuesday’s ill-fated loss against the West’s No. 2-seeded Memphis Grizzlies: Schröder running the point, regular starter Malik Beasley at shooting guard, Troy Brown Jr. in for the injured LeBron James at small forward, Jarred Vanderbilt at power forward, and Davis at center.
Look for Vanderbilt to be utilized in a variety of applications defensively by LA had coach Darvin Ham, after his defense against Dallas Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic proved so critical during LA’s bonkers 27-point comeback victory Sunday.
Elsewhere in the Lakers’ rotation, it will be worth noting how Ham opts to utilize his backup frontcourt rotation. He started Mo Bamba at center in Wednesday’s surprise win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, a game after only playing him in a single mop-up minute against the Grizz Tuesday. Will Wenyen Gabriel or Bamba get the majority of backup big minutes against an intimidating Minnesota front line tonight? Time will.
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