With the start of training camp just around the corner, there is one major question surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers and that is who will be their fifth starter.
After overhauling their roster this offseason, there appear to be four locks in JJ Redick’s starting lineup to begin the season: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and Quentin Grimes.
Grimes could potentially move to a bench role if it makes sense, but given his skillset and what the Lakers gave him in free agency, it’s reasonable to expect him to begin the year with the starting group.
That leaves one more spot up for grabs. The Lakers were hoping to add a starting-caliber forward this offseason through free agency or the trade market, most notable being linked to Jonathan Kuminga. It’s possible that the Lakers still make a move before Opening Night, but with Kuminga choosing to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves, it seems like that they will go into the season with the roster as is outside of waiving one player to get down to 15.
With that being the case, the options to earn the fifth starter spot include Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jake LaRavia, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle, and perhaps even Adou Thiero.
In the latest Lakers Nation Roundtable, our staff gave their thoughts on who that spot should go to.
Trevor Lane (@TrevorLane):
The Lakers have no shortage of options for their fifth starting spot, which should create a spirited battle over the role during training camp and preseason.
I’ve got Jake LaRavia as the current favorite to win the job due to his fit as a scrappy, defensive player who can help on the boards and my belief that his 3-point shooting will bounce back from last season’s second-half slump. On a team with nine(!) new players on it, LaRavia’s experience playing with Doncic and Reaves last season is ultimately what pushes him slightly ahead of other options like Williams, Mamukelashvili, Thiero, and the rest.
Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand):
None of the options are perfect, so I would go with Ziaire Williams as he gives the Lakers the best mix of offense and defense. Williams is one of the best point-of-attack defenders on the roster and is said to have put on some muscle this offseason, which would help him guard bigger wings as well. In a starting lineup with Doncic and Reaves, someone is going to have to take on those assignments and Williams should be able to handle it.
On the offensive end, Williams has improved his jump shot to the point where teams can no longer considers him a liability they can ignore. And as long as that is true and he keeps improving, the 25-year-old may be the best option to round out that starting group.
Corey Hansford (@TheeCoreyH):
The choice for me is Ziaire Williams. The lineup of Doncic, Reaves, Grimes and Kessler is in need of more athleticism and another defender and Williams checks both of those boxes. He can be the primary defender on the opposition’s bigger wing, which allows for Grimes to focus on the guard and frees Reaves to not be one of the primary defenders.
It also gives the Lakers an elite duo off the bench with Mamukelashvili joining Collin Sexton. There are some spacing concerns, but Williams has improved as a shooter over the years and will get the best looks of his life playing alongside Doncic and Reaves. Most importantly, he understands and embraces his role as a defender which makes him the perfect fit with the starters.
Ron Gutterman (@RonGutterman24):
I’m going with Jake LaRavia for the fifth starter. He wasn’t good to end the season last year and struggled in the playoffs, but that recency bias has made people forget that he was genuinely effective in the first half of the year.
Through Jan. 15, he was averaging 10.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals on 46.8% from the field and 35.3% from three. He’s also in a contract year, making him motivated to perform. I like what he can bring on both ends of the floor and has some built-in chemistry with Doncic and Reaves.
Matthew Valento (@matthewvalento):
Matisse Thybulle should be the fifth starter because he brings that much needed defensive playmaking on the wing. While he has dealt with lower body injuries these past few years, his defensive instincts are impressive, particularly playing passing lanes.
Additionally, he has experience playing next to stars dating back to his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, so he knows what winning basketball looks like. Despite a limited offensive game, there’s enough firepower with Doncic, Reaves and Grimes that he can focus all his energy on being a tenacious perimeter defender.
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