For the second season straight, Jarred Vanderbilt has missed the Lakers’ first 16 games of the regular season. Last year, Vando actually did not make his season debut until the 21st game of the season at home against Houston. Unfortunately, none of the reports regarding updates to his return to action have yielded much (if any) positivity. As things currently stand, it appears as though the purple and gold will be without their premier perimeter defender for at least a few more weeks as he continues to rehab from an offseason foot procedure. As if to add insult to injury, the sideline virus has also tethered itself to key reserve big man Christian Wood. Recent reports seem to indicate that Wood could be on a similarly murky and prolonged path back to the floor.

Obviously, these are not elite superstar players we are dissecting here. Granted, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood are each extremely gifted hoopers who both find ways to contribute in their own fashions.

In the case of Vando, you know exactly what you are going to get when he is in the game: a dogged + in-your-face brand of defense, sneaky passing smarts, and overall fiery tenacity all over the floor.

With Wood, predicting what you are going to get from him has become a bit blurry on a nightly basis. Prior to his arrival in the limelight of Los Angeles, Wood had not averaged less than 16.6 PPG in the 3 full seasons immediately preceding his inaugural go round with the Lakeshow last year. He struggled to build/sustain any semblance of an offensive rhythm throughout the 2023-2024 campaign, dropping all the way down to a measly 6.9 PPG on paltry shooting percentages of 46.6% FG/30.7% 3FG/70.2% FT. There were times when he looked like the missing piece for this team, and he had some surprisingly impressive moments on the less glamorous end of the court. But there were also times when his poor play resulted in DNPs, so he is going to have to stay consistent when he returns if he is going to earn/keep a lasting spot in the rotation.

Speaking of the rotation, by the projected time that these fellas find their feet back on the floor this team will realistically be at a CRITICAL juncture of the season. Assuming they both return sometime around late December/early January, the trade deadline will be looming and the front office will have a clear sense of what the team truly needs in order to make a genuine run at a championship in what could/should be one of the final seasons in the legendary career of LeBron James. With the soon-to-be 40 James still somehow playing at an ELITE level and Anthony Davis sitting towards the top of the present MVP ladder, Rob Pelinka and his executive affiliates could easily utilize the tandem of forwards in a trade package for some superstar support (especially in the case of Vanderbilt and his roughly $10.7 million salary).

Assuredly the front office would prefer to provide the team a chance to establish some chemistry when fully healthy before they pull the trigger on any major moves. So, how will JJ Redick tailor his rotation when he has 100% access to each and every one of his 15 individual weapons?

Ideally, the Lakers rotation when the roster is at full health would resemble something similar to the following:

~P.S. PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON A 240-MINUTE ALLOCATION. THE HYPOTHETICAL RESERVES WOULD OBVIOUSLY GET SOME RUN HERE AND THERE WITH THOSE CASES MOSTLY OCCURRING DURING GARBAGE TIME AND/OR AS A RESULT OF AN INJURY TO A ROTATION REGULAR~

STARTERS

PG = Austin Reaves | 32 MPG

Reaves has been the Lakers’ clear cut 3rd-best player this season and the gap between he and the next guys in line (Rui, Knecht and D’Lo) really is not even close. He has received plenty of (not to be taken seriously) All-Star votes in recent years, but any votes he receives for the acknowledgement this season will be flat out justified. Reaves has been a perfect offensive complement to LBJ + AD, notching a career high in scoring (17.4 PPG) while only slightly trailing his dime-dropping career high of 5.5 APG (currently at 5.3). AR-15 has undoubtedly cemented his place in the starting unit, and hopefully in the franchise’s future plans as well.

SG = Dalton Knecht | 25 MPG

You never want to disrespect your elders, but rookie sensation Dalton Knecht should be sure to let his coaching staff know that he is a much cleaner fit with the starters than Rui Hachimura. With all due respect to Hachimura, who has come out of the gates setting the nets ablaze from distance (50% on 3.6 3PA per game), Knecht has been the among the hottest players in the league as of late. With James and Davis manning the frontcourt spots and Austin Reaves claiming starting point guard duties, the ideal pair of guys to complete the starting unit would be 1x certified sharpshooter + 1x certified wing stopper. Hachimura’s early season sniping and decent defensive fundamentals make him a valuable member of the rotation, but he is not to be mistaken as a certified shooter/defender. His skillset would seem to blend in more seamlessly with the bench mob.

SF = Jarred Vanderbilt | 18 MPG

The previous gentleman would fill the 1x certified sharpshooter void, while this particular pest would definitely fit the criteria of the team’s desperately needed 1x certified wing stopper. With Reaves, Knecht and LeBron doing damage via perimeter shooting + playmaking and AD patrolling the paint on both ends of the floor, Vando would have the simple responsibility of wreaking havoc on each respective opponent’s best perimeter scoring threat night in and night out.

PF = LeBron James | 32 MPG

There is no explanation needed for why the King remains a starter, that is just common sense even among casual basketball fans (or even non-basketball fans). Dipping into his minutes (currently leads the team at 35.4 MPG) would be a wise call, as the team will need him in pristine condition come playoff time.

C = Anthony Davis | 34 MPG

If LBJ’s inclusion in the starting 5 was common sense, that would have to make AD’s a second nature choice. There should never be any type of thought-processing within the mind of a head coach when it comes to whether Davis should be a starter or not. But similar to James, Redick and his staff would be wise to monitor the Brow’s wear and tear as the regular season progresses and the postseason approaches.

BENCH

PG = D’Angelo Russell | 20 MPG

It has been nothing shy of a rough go of it for D’Lo throughout the preliminary phase of the 2024-2025 NBA season. He has not been terrible on the court and has said the right things off the court since being demoted to the pine, but it would appear that the seemingly everlasting trade chatter that have been connected to Russell for over a year may soon come to a climax which lands him in another uniform.

SG = Max Christie | 13 MPG

It did not take long for the Lakers’ front office to invest their faith in Max Christie during the offseason, inking him to a 4-year, $32 million pact in the opening hours of free agency. This was a move that was mostly met with praise, as the Michigan State product flashed loads of 2-way potential through his first 2 seasons despite never receiving a fair crack at a rotation spot under Darvin Ham’s tutelage. That praise was only amplified throughout Christie’s semi-breakout in the first few games of the preseason, but you would be hard-pressed to find anyone celebrating his extension based on his output thus far in the regular season. Regardless of his growing pains, the 6’6” wing will always be among the team’s top perimeter defenders and his offense is slowly starting to come around recently. Now, it will be vital to his team’s success that the 3rd-year swingman can establish a sense of consistency.

SF = Cam Reddish | 13 MPG

One could make the argument for Cam Reddish to start over Vanderbilt. While both are renowned defenders who are always going to earn their minutes on that side of the ball, Reddish certainly brings more offensive punch to the table than his counterpart. He is currently sinking a scalding 64.3% of his (bite-sized) 1.6 3PA per game, and has always possessed some subliminal shakiness to his handle. Still, Vando’s prior experience playing next to the stars deep into the playoffs and his previously noted passion for terrorizing opposing scorers make him the superior selection.

PF | Rui Hachimura | 26 MPG

As long as Hachimura can continue knocking down outside shots efficiently, chances are that he will not be swapped to bench duties anytime soon. However, he would instantly become the bench’s go-to option in terms of scoring punch, and if Russell is inevitably shipped out of town the coaches will be in search of a valid candidate to fill his 6th Man shoes.

C = Christian Wood | 17 MPG

It almost seems like ages ago that Wood was getting buckets left and right as a member of the Pistons, Rockets and Mavericks. While things did not go quite according to plan in terms of his offensive output last year with the Lakers, do not sleep on a potential renaissance from Wood as he competes for his next contract this year.

RESERVES

G | Bronny James Jr.

Let’s face facts: Bronny is not ready to play at the NBA level. A bulk of his playing time as a rookie will come with the South Bay Lakers, but it will still be cool to witness any and all moments that the Prince shares the court with the King.

G | Gabe Vincent

Not much has changed since our initial assessment of Vincent as the NBA’s worst overall player this season, and the front office would be smart to hop on any opportunity to offload his contract in a potential deadline deal.

G | Jalen Hood-Schifino

JHS’s inability to crack the rotation early in his NBA career with the Lakers has been less about his performance and more about the team’s needs. With James, Reaves and Russell (and Davis to an extent), they already have plenty of proven playmaking firepower who need the ball in their hands to be most effective. And while his size (6’5”, 215 pounds) could get him some minutes playing up a position or 2, Hood-Schifino’s spotty track record as an outside shooter leave him on the outside of the rotation looking in. A change of scenery could be (is) best for the former Hoosier.

F | Maxwell Lewis

Just like JHS, Maxwell Lewis has found himself lost in the shuffle thus far in his young NBA career with the Lakers. His rangy wingspan (7’0”) and lanky frame (6’7”, 195 pounds) automatically qualify his potential to become a valuable swingman, but that type of ascension would likely require a new chapter with a new ball club.

C | Jaxson Hayes

While Hayes is a very limited player offensively, he maximizes his strengths on that end of the floor. Plus, he is dependable as a switch defender who can hang with perimeter threats (not that he should be tasked with those type of assignments consistently). He has been a pleasant surprise for the team early on, but should be usurped by Wood upon his return to the active frontcourt platoon.

LAKERS IDEAL ROTATION WHEN FULLY HEALTHY