Ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers seem too keen on acquiring guards from all around the league. They already had former NBA MVP, Russell Westbrook, on the team. While the Lakers have been trying to trade him the whole offseason, they haven’t had much success with that.
In addition to Russ, the Lakers then traded for Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz. It was an understandable move as the Purple and Gold needed a good defender on the roster.
Most thought that it will result in Westbrook starting the game while Pat Bev comes off the bench. Well, the Lakers then went on to sign Dennis Schroder for a one-year ,$2.64 million deal.
That’s when things started to complicate for the Lakers. NBA insiders revealed that Schroder’s arrival meant Russ might have to come off the bench for the Lakers.
Marc Stein Says The Lakers Do Not Plan To Play Patrick Beverley As A Point Guard
With the general consensus around the league being that Westbrook will be forced to come off the bench, NBA insider Marc Stein has a new report that suggests otherwise. As per Stein, the Lakers want Beverley to play the role of a wing player instead of a point guard.
Via Substack:
With [Russell] Westbrook poised to remain a Laker when new coach Darvin Ham opens his first training camp as L.A.’s new coach, sources say Beverley is regarded internally by the club as a 3-and-D wing and not as a point guard at this stage of his career. The Lakers, in other words, see Westbrook and [Dennis] Schröder as their point guards as of Sept. 18 … and the likes of Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Austin Reaves, and Lonnie Walker IV as 2s and 3s.
If Stein’s sources are correct, then it means Russell Westbrook will continue to be the primary point guard for the Lakers during the 2022-23 NBA season.
However, nothing is confirmed as of now. Things will be much clearer after the training camp begins and the Lakers’ head coach, Darvin Ham, reveals his strategies and makes the required changes accordingly.
