The Lakers have been struggling to find the right combination of starters and bench players throughout the season and now Mike D’Antoni has decided to make another change as Wesley Johnson will start at the small forward position in place of Nick Young tonight against the Pelicans, as Beto Duran first reported:
Wesley Johnson just told me he’s starting tonight for @Lakers at the 3.
— Beto Duran (@DuranSports) November 13, 2013
At this point, changes to the starting lineup should be expected on almost a daily basis until the right balance is found. It was already announced that both Jodie Meeks and Jordan Hill will be in the starting lineup tonight. Meeks will make his third start of the season while Hill will get his first.
Johnson being inserted is a bit of a shocker as he has struggled offensively and putting him next to another offensively limited forward in Hill could turn out to be a questionable move. In addition, Johnson has spent a good part of this season getting minutes as a small-ball 4.
On the other hand, Johnson has consistently played with good energy defensively and has been exceptional on the boards and with blocking shots. With Anthony Davis dominating the Lakers on the boards last game, it could turn out to be the right move in moving Johnson with the starters.
The best news out of all of this, Nick Young’s quest for NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year is still on.
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Steve Nash Says He’s Slowly Getting Worse And Worse, Not Worth Being Out There
