The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the busiest teams in the NBA this offseason. Even though they have been unable to move Russell Westbrook, the Purple and Gold found a way to add new players without compromising their 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks.
Besides signing other veterans to replace the role players they had last season, the Lakers added Patrick Beverley in a blockbuster deal with the Utah Jazz before re-signing Dennis Schroder, who spent the 2020/21 NBA season with them.
Now, the Lakers have four guards on the roster, and fans are already debating who should start this upcoming season. However, it seems like Darvin Ham has already made up his mind at least about Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder.
NBA Insider Reveals How Lakers Plan To Use Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder And Patrick Beverley
NBA insider Marc Stein recently wrote about what’s next for the Lakers this season, revealing the team’s plans for all of Westbrook, Beverley and Schroder. While Russ and Dennis will be their point guards, Bev will have a different role.
With Westbrook poised to remain a Laker when new coach Darvin Ham opens his first training camp as LA’s new coach, sources say Beverley is regarded internally by the club as a 3-and-D wing and not as a point guard at this stage of his career. The Lakers, in other words, see Westbrook and Schröder as their point guards as of Sept. 18 … and the likes of Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV as 2s and 3s.
This upcoming season will be very challenging for the Lakers, who need to get things together if they want to return to the playoffs and even aspire to win a championship again. Darwin Ham is seemingly bringing new ideas to the team, with Westbrook being expected to become a defensive player and even coming off the bench, while Schroder was said to be used to guard players like Stephen Curry or Ja Morant.
The Lakers will have a lot of pressure on their shoulders this next season, and the job of these three will be crucial for their success. We’ll have to wait to see how they work together and if the Lakers can be good with them on the court.
.