Did the Lakers hint at who will be their fifth starter this season?
With training camp now underway for the 2023-24 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have four of their starters set in stone: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves.
It has led to lots of speculation over who will end up getting that fifth and final starting job once the regular season tips off in a couple of weeks.
A report just a few days ago indicated Rui Hachimura was the early favorite to earn that spot. However, during the Lakers’ final scrimmage on Tuesday, Jarred Vanderbilt ran with the starters, and one has to wonder if that means he will be their fifth starter.
For those keeping track, the starters are all wearing purple jerseys (Davis, Reaves) with the bench players wearing white (Vincent, Wood, Prince, etc.). Jarred Vanderbilt is wearing purple; Rui Hachimura is wearing white. That suggests Vando got run with the starters (at least in…
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 3, 2023
Vanderbilt was a starter for most of last season after arriving in February’s Russell Westbrook trade. His ability to guard wings and guards on the perimeter makes him an attractive candidate, but his inability to consistently hit open 3-pointers is a sizable concern.
