Los Angeles Lakers starting center Brook Lopez will miss at least three weeks as a result of a sprained ankle suffered against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night. Thus, it will be up to Lakers head coach Luke Walton to decide who takes his spot in the starting lineup.
With a number of potential options, the Lakers Nation News Feed host Trevor Lane is joined by LN writer Harrison Faigen to break down all of the potential options.
With Lopez playing the center position, some assume that backup big man Andrew Bogut will get the nod, but there are a few other intriguing options out there. For example, Walton could turn to rookie Kyle Kuzma, which would slide starting power forward Larry Nance Jr. down a spot and allow the team to play small ball from the get-go.
A similar small lineup could feature Julius Randle manning the center position, where he has had a lot of success this season, though Walton may prefer to keep him coming off the bench and combining with Jordan Clarkson in the second unit.
Should Walton decide to go with a more traditional center, second-year big man Ivica Zubac would be an interesting option, and rookie Thomas Bryant could be a dark horse after tearing it up in the G League for the South Bay Lakers.
Of course, we would also be remiss if we didn’t address the latest rumor that the Lakers considered completing a trade that would have landed a rookie Tracy McGrady in Los Angeles to play alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Just how good would the Lakers have eventually been if they had pulled off that deal?
We discuss all of that plus more on this episode of the LN News Feed, just click on the player above.
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