Los Angeles Lakers Starting 5: Locks, fringe, and break-ins for 2021-22
By Dalton Sell
The Los Angeles Lakers spared no expense in revamping their roster this past offseason with a slew of interesting moves.
Kicking things off with a blockbuster trade for a former MVP, it would be hard to top that during the rest of the offseason, but the team managed to add some stellar complementary pieces on the free-agent market. Comparing this current roster with last season’s, it seems safe to say that, at least on paper, the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers look like a far better team.
Although the offseason is not quite over yet, it looks like the Lakers will not make too many more seismic changes to their roster the rest of the way.
The biggest question now is how coach Frank Vogel will approach piecing together the team’s new starting five as he has plenty of talent to choose from. With that being said, here are the locks, fringe, and some potential break-in candidates for the Los Angeles Lakers lineup in 2021-22.
2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup: Who are the locks to start?
LeBron James
There will not be too much tension in unveiling these first three. LeBron James will obviously start for the Lakers next season. The four-time league MVP is coming off a year where he played just 45 games, the fewest in his career. That was due to an ankle injury that sidelined him for a massive part of last season and hindered him throughout the postseason. With a full offseason to recover, James should head into next season rejuvenated with chasing his prestigious fifth title, his second with the Los Angles Lakers, at the forefront of his mind.
Anthony Davis
Another Laker that spent a large portion of last season on the sidelines was Anthony Davis. The big man played just 36 regular-season games, also the fewest in his career, as he battled through numerous injuries, which impacted his playoff performance. Davis will unquestionably reclaim his spot as LA’s starting power forward and will look to have a bounce-back year. A healthy A.D. is one of the best players in the association, and he will certainly have a chip on his shoulder to prove his doubters wrong next year.
Russell Westbrook
LA’s big splash this offseason was trading for Russell Westbrook, the 2016-17 MVP, from the Washington Wizards. They gave up several key players to get Westbrook, but he will certainly help form a star-studded trio alongside James and Davis. While the 32-year-old is far from the perfect fit for this team, trading for him will alleviate extended ball-handling duties from James when he needs a breather. Westbrook returns home to Los Angeles to play point guard for a championship contender, and it will be compelling to see how he fits.