NBA Rumors: LeBron James and Anthony Davis to play at power forward and center, respectively, for LA Lakers next season
According to NBA rumors, Rich Paul informed at the Chicago combine that his illustrious clients - LA Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis - will play the power forward and center position, respectively, next season. Bleacher Reports' Jake Fischer divulged the same on the Halftime app to LA Lakers beat writer HM Faigen.
So far, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has opted for Davis operating at power forward, with James occupying the point guard spot. However, the potential change Rich Paul talked about might come about because of the arrival of Russell Westbrook, who exclusively plays the point guard position.
Rich Paul is the owner of Klutch Sports, which has several high-profile NBA clients, including LA Lakers' LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He shares a close relationship with James, and is often seen with him during the 4-time NBA champion's public outings.
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LA Lakers head into the 2021-22 NBA season with a strong starting lineup featuring LeBron James and Anthony Davis
LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing at power forward and center, respectively, mean the other three spots on the starting lineup will probably be occupied by Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn. Horton-Tucker signed an extension this summer, while Nunn has joined the Lakers from the Miami Heat.
Horton-Tucker and Nunn will take up the wing spots, are not expected to see much off the ball. Much of the ball-handling will likely be done by LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, while Anthony Davis is also expected to get a significant number of touches per game.
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Off the bench, Rajon Rondo is likely to play back-up to Westbrook, leading the offense for the bench unit. Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk, Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington and Dwight Howard should come off the bench as well to contribute with key minutes.
The LA Lakers clearly have a star-studded roster that has the right blend of offense and defense. So it's safe to say they're entering the new NBA campaign as one of the favorites. The strongest competition they will face in their conference will probably be from the LA Clippers or the Golden State Warriors.
Should the LA Lakers come out of the West, they might end up running into the two superteams in the East, either Kevin Durant's Brooklyn Nets or reigning NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks.