The Los Angeles Lakers capped a surprisingly strong offseason by signing the best remaining free agent, Christian Wood, earlier this week. His signing bolsters the team’s weakest position at center, with Los Angeles having just two centers prior to signing Wood. Now that he is officially a Laker, their rotation for the upcoming season is coming into focus.
Jaxon Hayes is expected to start alongside Anthony Davis, and Davis is reportedly expecting to play less center. Additionally, with Wood having played backup center in Dallas last season, he will likely backup Hayes, who, while starting, may only play around 20 minutes per game in 2023–24. That means Wood could average around 28 minutes next season, which is likely the main reason he joined the Lakers.
How does Wood impact the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation next season?
At the moment, the Lakers projected starting lineup will likely include D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Davis, and Hayes. That means their second unit could consist of some combination of Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Wood. They also have depth and added size with Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish.
That gives the Lakers a lot of versatility. Los Angeles can play small with a three-guard lineup consisting of Vincent, Russell, Reaves, LeBron, and A.D., giving them enough shooting and passing. Or, they can play bigger and mobile lineups with Russell, Reaves, LeBron, Hachimura, and Davis. L.A. can even go jumbo with Russell, LeBron, Hachimura, Davis, and Wood.
That was no doubt by design, with adding quite a bit of length and size over the summer culminating with the Wood signing. While he might not add much in terms of defense, he is a skilled offensive player who should have no problem producing in a large role next season. That may be all the more crucial for the Lakers, with their best player, LeBron, showing signs of slowing down.
All in all, the Lakers’ projected rotation appears nearly complete following the Wood signing. Additionally, Wood should help Los Angeles fill a key role and give them more size and offense as training camp nears.
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Author: Cal Durrett
September 8, 2023 | 12:00 pm
