The Los Angeles Lakers are moving D'Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt to the bench for Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets, per Shams Charania. LA's starting lineup in this must-win affair looks like this: Dennis Schroder, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Anthony Davis.
The Lakers are going to need a miracle if they want to win the series. They trail 3-0 heading into Monday's clash, so the road ahead of them is long. Lakers fans won't want to hear it, but the 2022-23 season has been a success considering where LA was last year and the beginning of this year. The team missed the postseason during the 2021-22 season, and started slow once again this season.
However, they fought hard and utilized a strong second half to give themselves a chance. LeBron James and Anthony Davis then led a strong playoff charge that helped the team reach the Western Conference Finals. In the end, though, this Nuggets team happens to simply be over-powering. Nikola Jokic and Denver feature star power, depth, and confidence.
The Lakers won't give up hope despite the odds. They need to take it one game at a time, but there's still a chance of a comeback. Perhaps this lineup switch will prompt a resurgence. Moving a star like D'Angelo Russell to the bench is questionable, but it could help get him going while giving the Lakers a necessary new look in their rotation.
Game 4 projects to be an exciting contest as the Lakers try to keep their NBA Finals hopes alive.