After the first week of the season where they went 1-2, the Lakers have decided to make some changes. With Nick Young and Shawne Williams struggling, head coach Mike D’Antoni has decided to insert Xavier Henry into the starting line-up and plans on playing Jordan Hill more minutes tonight against the Atlanta Hawks.
When the Lakers signed Young in the off-season, there were expectations he would be able to score enough points in Kobe Bryant’s absence. However, Young hasn’t looked comfortable as a starter where he has only averaged 8.3 points while shooting 27.3 percent from the field. Instead, he will go back to being the team’s sixth man, a role he has been comfortable playing throughout his career.
With Shawne Williams struggling from the field, there were questions about D’Antoni’s decision to not play Jordan Hill until the fourth quarter against the Spurs on Friday night. While he can’t stretch the floor and isn’t the ideal player in Mike D’Antoni’s system, Hill provides much needed energy and rim protection for the Lakers’ frontcourt. If the Lakers want to win tonight against the Hawks, Hill will need to be on the court against Atlanta’s dynamic duo in the frontcourt, Al Horford and Paul Millsap.
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Xavier Henry To Start Instead Of Nick Young For Lakers Tonight [LA Times]
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