Frank Vogel hasn’t decided on Lakers starters, says playing LeBron James at point guard isn’t ‘imminent’

With just one more roster spot to fill, it’s safe to assume the Los Angeles Lakers are done making impact signings in free agency, allowing head coach Frank Vogel to start experimenting with different lineups on paper. However, according to Vogel, no decision regarding the starting lineup has been made yet, despite reports that have said otherwise.

Earlier this week, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that the Lakers intended to start James at point guard, but during an ESPN broadcast of the Lakers-Knicks game on Wednesday, Vogel said it’s far too early for that decision to have been made (emphasis mine):

“Right, yeah, everybody has sort of pieced together our starting lineup (laughs). There are no decisions made on our starting lineup. No imminent plan to start LeBron at the point guard spot. A lot of different lineups and combinations have been discussed, but it’s really way too early for any of that.

“(LeBron will) be a primary ball-handler in our system the same way he has been his entire career, but we’re certainly not going to ask him to do anything he hasn’t done his entire career. It’s going to be a situation of putting all of our guys in the best position to have success on the basketball court, and looking forward for it all to take place at the right time.”

Considering the Lakers have yet to play even a single scrimmage together, it makes sense that Vogel hasn’t figured out his starting lineup. However, looking at the roster, there are a few players that can be safely penciled into the starting lineup and James is one of them. It’s also a near guarantee that Anthony Davis and Danny Green will start.

Where exactly on the floor they will start? That’s to be determined, and it doesn’t sound like anyone will know until October the earliest.

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