Basketball is weird. You’ve got the most storied franchise in NBA history, a roster featuring the league's all-time leading scorer, and yet, the biggest conversation around the Los Angeles Lakers lineup this season isn't about some blockbuster trade. It’s about math. Specifically, the math of floor spacing and how a first-year head coach like JJ Redick views the geometry of the court.
People expected fireworks. They always do in L.A.
Instead, we’re seeing a team that has mostly decided to stop overthinking things. For years, the Lakers' front office—led by Rob Pelinka—seemed obsessed with the "third star" hunt. They brought in Russell Westbrook. It flopped. They tinkered with veteran minimum guys who were past their prime. It was a carousel. But right now, the Lakers are leaning into a starting five that actually makes sense on paper, even if the bench depth still feels like a precarious house of cards.
The Core Five: LeBron, AD, and the Supporting Cast
The starting Los Angeles Lakers lineup basically begins and ends with the health of Anthony Davis. It's that simple. When AD is playing at an MVP level, anchoring the drop coverage on defense and swallowing rebounds, the rest of the pieces fall into place. Redick has made it clear: the offense runs through Davis in the post. This isn't the "stand around and watch LeBron" show of 2018. It’s a modernized system where Davis is the hub.
LeBron James, entering his 22nd season, has shifted into a role that feels more like a tactical mastermind than a freight train. He’s still a freight train when he wants to be, obviously. But the way he fits into the current lineup is about gravity. He’s shooting more threes. He’s cutting. He’s letting Austin Reaves handle the rock more often.
Speaking of Reaves, his evolution is the "glue" that keeps this whole thing from falling apart. He’s not just a shooter anymore. He’s a secondary playmaker who allows LeBron to rest his legs during the grueling middle quarters. Then you have Rui Hachimura. Rui is the wildcard. When he’s aggressive and hitting that midrange jumper, the Lakers are nearly impossible to guard because you can’t double-team AD without leaving a 6'8" bucket-getter open. D’Angelo Russell rounds out the starters, and while fans love to argue about his defensive lapses, his 40% clip from deep is basically the oxygen this lineup needs to breathe.
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Why the Bench Rotation is Basically a High-Stakes Gamble
Depth has always been the Achilles' heel for this squad. You look at the bench and see names like Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt (when healthy), and Jaxson Hayes. It’s a mixed bag. Honestly, the Lakers' success depends on whether the second unit can just not lose the lead while LeBron sits.
Jarred Vanderbilt is the most important player nobody talks about. His ability to guard positions one through five is what allowed the Lakers to make that deep playoff run a couple of years back. Without him, the Los Angeles Lakers lineup becomes dangerously thin on the perimeter. Redick has to get creative here. We’re seeing more minutes for Max Christie, a guy the front office clearly believes in, even if his shooting has been streaky.
The "rookie factor" is also a thing. Dalton Knecht wasn't supposed to fall to the Lakers in the draft. Everyone knew he was the most NBA-ready shooter in the class. Seeing him move without the ball—reminiscent of his coach, actually—gives the Lakers a dimension they haven't had since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was in town. He’s the kind of player who can change a game in a four-minute spurt.
The Tactical Shift: More Threes, Fewer Long Twos
Under Darvin Ham, the Lakers often felt like they were fighting against the modern NBA. They didn't take enough threes. They lived in the "dead zone." JJ Redick has flipped the script. He’s obsessed with "shot profile."
In the current Los Angeles Lakers lineup structure, every player has a green light if the ball movement creates an open look. You’ll see LeBron sprinting to the corner more. You’ll see AD actually taking the occasional trailer three. It’s about creating space. If the defense has to respect the shot, AD has more room to operate in the paint. It’s basic geometry, but it’s something the Lakers ignored for far too long.
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There's also the "Bronny James" of it all. Let's be real—the media circus around LeBron's son is a distraction, but it hasn't really affected the actual rotation. Bronny is a developmental project. He’s not a core part of the winning lineup yet. The real story is how the veterans have tuned out the noise to focus on a high-motion offense that requires a lot of "basketball IQ."
Addressing the Misconceptions About the Lakers' Defense
A lot of people think the Lakers are a bad defensive team because they give up a lot of points. That’s a bit of a casual take. The reality is that their defense is designed to funnel everything to Anthony Davis. It’s a "bend but don’t break" philosophy.
When you look at the Los Angeles Lakers lineup, you see a lot of offensive talent, but the perimeter defense is... let's call it "optimistic." D-Lo and Reaves aren't exactly lockdown defenders. This puts an immense amount of pressure on the wings—Hachimura and James—to rotate perfectly. If they miss a rotation, it’s a layup or a wide-open three. This is why the health of Vanderbilt is so crucial; he covers up the mistakes that the stars inevitably make during a long 82-game season.
The Trade Deadline Shadow
We can't talk about the Lakers lineup without mentioning the trade rumors. They’re always there. Hovering.
The names change—Jerami Grant, Jonas Valančiūnas, whoever is the latest "disgruntled star." But the Lakers are in a weird spot. They don't have a ton of assets left. Do you trade the future (first-round picks in 2029 and 2031) to upgrade the current Los Angeles Lakers lineup? Or do you trust that this group, when healthy, is enough?
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Most experts agree that a bruising backup center is the missing piece. AD doesn't want to play the five all night. He’s better as a "roamer." If Pelinka can find a way to land a physical big who can eat up 15 minutes of fouls against guys like Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid, this lineup goes from "playoff contender" to "title threat."
Practical Insights for the Remainder of the Season
If you're watching the Lakers this year, pay attention to the first six minutes of the third quarter. That’s usually when the coaching staff makes their biggest adjustments to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup.
- Watch the Davis/Hayes pairing: If Redick plays them together, he’s trying to go "big" to combat a physical frontcourt. It’s a risky move that kills spacing but helps on the glass.
- The "Closing Five": It’s almost always LeBron, AD, Reaves, and Russell. The fifth spot is a revolving door between Hachimura and whatever wing has the "hot hand" that night.
- Pace and Space: Notice how often the Lakers are pushing the ball after a miss. They aren't waiting for the defense to set up anymore. This lineup is at its best in transition.
The Lakers aren't the young, bouncy team they were a decade ago. They’re a veteran group that relies on execution and height. They’re big. They’re skilled. And for the first time in a while, they seem to have a coach who understands how to maximize the specific, albeit aging, talents of their two superstars.
Success this season isn't about finding a new star. It’s about the supporting cast—guys like Rui and Austin—consistently playing like stars in their roles. If that happens, the Los Angeles Lakers lineup is as dangerous as anyone in the West. If it doesn't, well, we know how the story ends in Hollywood.
To really understand how this team evolves, track the "on/off" numbers for Anthony Davis. When he sits, the defensive rating usually plummets. Finding a way to stabilize the defense during those 8-12 minutes per game is the single most important task for the Lakers' coaching staff moving forward. Keeping an eye on the injury report is a full-time job for Laker fans, but that's the price of admission when your franchise cornerstones are in the later stages of their careers. Focus on the lineup's defensive rotations in the fourth quarter; that's where games are being won or lost right now.