One of the reasons the Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday was the small lineup they employed for long stretches.
They started a three-guard lineup that consisted of Dennis Schroder, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves, which was simply too small against a Denver lineup that has plenty of length and size.
Los Angeles fell behind by 21 early in the third quarter after giving up 72 first-half points and getting outrebounded by a huge margin. But when head coach Darvin Ham went with a bigger lineup in the fourth quarter that included 6-foot-8 forward Rui Hachimura, the game turned, giving the Lakers a shot at victory.
In Game 2, Ham will revert to the bigger lineup he was using prior to Game 6 of the prior round versus the Golden State Warriors. That lineup features Jarred Vanderbilt, a 6-foot-8 forward. who will take Schroder’s place.
Lakers starters for Game 2:
Russell, Reaves, Vanderbilt, LeBron and AD.
Back to a bigger look, with Schröder and Hachimura coming off the bench.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 19, 2023
Vanderbilt may get the task of guarding Jamal Murray, at least at times. Murray killed the Lakers on Tuesday with 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field.
