LA Lakers 2021-22 NBA season preview: Roster moves, starting lineup projection and training camp storylines to follow
The LA Lakers will look to enter the 2021-22 season with redemption on their minds. They endured a disappointing season riddled with injuries to key players in the postseason.
After grasping the top seed in the Western Conference last season, injuries to Anthony Davis and LeBron James saw the Lakers fall from their top spot.They beat the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament to reach the playoffs.
But the Lakers endured an early exit in six games against the Phoenix Suns, with Davis getting injured again. The Lakers have now seen an absolute overhaul of their roster this offseason. With new faces coming in, the team looks set to be one of the contenders this season.
With the window to win another Championship getting smaller for LeBron James, this season could be championship or bust for the LA Lakers.
LA Lakers' roster moves so far in the 2021-22 NBA season
The LA Lakers had one of the most active offseasons in franchise history. Following their playoff misery, the Lakers had players moving everywhere. With old franchise favorites bidding farewell, LA looks set to welcome the talent that could bring the title home.
A blockbuster trade involving Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell saw the LA Lakers acquire Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. However, with a huge chunk of the Lakers' salary cap eaten by their new Big Three, the front office had to get creative with how they filled the rest of their roster.
With players such as Carmelo Anthony and DeAndre Jordan coming in, the Lakers have added significant star power at a minimum salary. Kendrick Nunn's addition also rounds out the roster well as the LA Lakers look to have significant depth in each position.
The offseason saw the return of a number of familiar faces to the LA Lakers. Players such as Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard, who were key to the franchise's success in the 2019-20 season, returned to the city to help the Lakers win another title.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Rajon Rondo all play for the same team.
Let that sink in. HALL OF FAMERS 🙏
https://t.co/jrMKZHd0d4
The signing of Trevor Ariza is also noteworthy as he was a key member of the starting lineup for the 2008-09 Lakers' championship squad. The rest of the roster features key positional and role players, such as Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington and Malik Monk.
However, amongst all this activity, the re-signing of Talen Horton-Tucker could be one of the most interesting moves the Lakers have made this offseason. There is significant excitement to see what the young player has to offer this season.
Important storylines for the LA Lakers' training camp
#1 Will Russell Westbrook fit with LeBron James?
Russell Westbrook's arrival in LA was met with mixed response. He is one of the most explosive guards to play the game, and there is no question regarding his skills. Having averaged triple-doubles in a season five times in the last six years, Westbrook's prowess is unmistakable.
The issue, though, is how ball-dominant he could be with the Lakers. That's because he'll be playing alongside LeBron James, one of the best passers in the league and another ball-dominant player. So the issue of who controls the flow of games is something the Lakers will have to tackle.
It appears that the LA Lakers could see a version of James who is expected to play off the ball and be a scorer. But how he pairs up with Westbrook will be interesting to watch.
#2 Will Talent Horton-Tucker compete for a starting spot?
The most exciting story among developing players in the LA Lakers is that of Talen Horton-Tucker. Having shown streaks of potential last season, the Lakers are convinced he could be a key contributor for the franchise going forward.
Head coach Frank Vogel has openly referred to Horton-Tucker as one of the players the LA Lakers are looking at to take the big jump this year. So there is a genuine possibility that Horton-Tucker may also join the starting lineup.
With his long wingspan and athleticism, Horton-Tucker has a lot to offer at the defensive end. He showed his ability to finish at the rim and in the paint last season. There have also been claims that he has improved his three-point shooting during the offseason.
Talen Horton-Tucker: This guy can hoop 🔥 https://t.co/NthPRWzPQ1
The most likely player to start at the 2 is Wayne Ellington. But if the LA Lakers are looking to amp up their perimeter defense, and Horton-Tucker has been tasked with taking up a bigger defensive role, we may see him start too.
#3 How well would the team operate as a unit?
With the oldest squad in the NBA, the LA Lakers are served by a number of veterans who still have the potential to be productive. With the amount of talent on the Lakers roster, the issue is more about how well they would establish team chemistry.
As multiple egos could clash, that could potentially become a problem. With players having some degree of conflict with each other in the past, the LA Lakers will have to find a way to resolve that before the season starts.
A minicamp in Las Vegas planned by LeBron James ahead of training camp was meant to build team chemistry. While that was a great initiative, on-court results will be the real deal.
Till then, fans will have to hope that everyone on the roster is united by a singular goal of winning the NBA title and will do what it takes to accomplish that.
Predicted starting lineup for the LA Lakers heading into the 2021-22 NBA season
The sheer amount of talent on their roster gives the LA Lakers flexibility with they shape up their starting lineup. With a plethora of potential combinations available because of his team's depth, Frank Vogel could look at experimenting with rotations early in the season, as he has done in the past.
However, with a small window in which they need to establish themselves as contenders, this exercise shouldn't take longer than a few weeks. As per multiple reports of LeBron James and Anthony Davis moving to 4 and 5, respectively, here is the potential starting lineup for the LA Lakers:
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook | Shooting Guard - Wayne Ellington | Small Forward - Trevor Ariza | Power Forward - LeBron James | Center - Anthony Davis.