In Los Angeles, the Lakers are still looking to find their formula for success. Despite an abundance of talent on the roster, the team has struggled to play up to expectations, leading many to suggest that a big trade could be on the horizon.
First, however, Frank Vogel intends on implementing a new game plan.
In a chat with the media, the Lakers coach revealed that LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be the team’s main centers moving forward.
Frank Vogel just indicated that, with LA’s success over the past month with center-less lineups, the Lakers will likely use Anthony Davis and LeBron James as their two primary centers once AD returns.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 1, 2022
Vogel has noticed that the Lakers seem to play better with smaller lineups on the floor, hence why he has decided to go centerless for the time being.
But for things to really start changing, the Lakers are going to need more than some lineup mixes. They need to get healthy, the stars need to start playing better, and the supporting cast needs to step up in a multitude of ways.
Russell Westbrook, in particular, has earned a lot of criticism this season due to his play and the Laker’s struggles. But, at this point, he isn’t even worried about that anymore.
“Honestly, I think I’ve been fine,” Westbrook said to reporters last month. “The conversation has been heavily on how I’m playing and what I’m doing, but I think people are expecting me to have f—ing 25, 15 and 15, which, that is not normal. Everybody has to understand, like, that’s not a normal thing that people do consistently.”
“People are saying ‘let Russ be Russ,’ I think nobody understands what that means. I think people just say it — ‘let Russ be Russ’ — but nobody actually knows what that means but myself. And I’m gonna lean on that and make sure I do what I’m supposed to do. And let everything else outside the locker room, whatever that may be, take care of itself.”
Needless to say, the Lakers are seemingly doing everything they can to improve their play. At just 18-19 on the season so far, they are far from where they want to be.
The hope is that with time, some new adjustments to the lineup, and maybe some trades in between, the Purple and Gold will finally become the team we all thought they’d be entering the season.
