Lebron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves are the Los Angeles Lakers’ Big 3 and they are all shoo-ins for the starting five. DeAndre Ayton, their acquisition over the summer, will get the fourth spot. To whom will the fifth spot go? Marcus Smart or Rui Hachimura?
A Lakers insider said it will be the American-Japanese forward who will win JJ Redick’s favor as the team banks on his stint with them from last season and their main concern is team chemistry.
“To Hachimura’s point, continuity is a factor, sources say,” Clutch Points’ Anthony Irwin wrote.
“The Lakers will open the season with a lighter slate and are looking to rack up wins early so as to maintain a higher seeding in the brutal West. As four of the Lakers’ likely starters do have chemistry heading in, the hope is they can use that to help Ayton get comfortable and jump out on teams through offensive firepower.”
Hachimura himself is not obsessed with getting the starting role. He insisted that he is all about team play over personal goals.
“I think it’s, for me, just whatever the team needs me to do,” he said.
“But we’ve been building the chemistry that I’ve been in the starting five for two, three years. So whatever they decide I have to do, it’s just a matter of the chemistry, how we can build and we can be on the court together and how we can give an impact.”
Marcus Smart is willing to sacrifice
Smart is another notable signing the Lakers made this offseason. Even Doncic thinks he is an incredible signing based on their counters from seasons before.
He is a veteran with proven playoffs pedigree. He was one of those being pushed to get the starting role but to him, it does not matter whether he will start or come off the bench.
“I’m here to win,” Smart said.
“However that means, that’s me. No matter whether I start or come off the bench, my presence will be made.”
Smart has played just 54 games in the last two seasons since leaving the Boston Celtics.
Other players coming off the bench for Lakers are Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Bronny James, and Jaxson Hayes.
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