When the Lakers square off with the Spurs on Friday, they may do so with nearly their entire roster at their disposal for the first time all season.
On the heels of multiple murmurings that the likes of Dennis Schröder and Thomas Bryant could finally suit up for the team after each suffered thumb-injuries prior to opening night, the Lakers assigned both down to their G-League affiliate on Tuesday for extra reps further signaling their looming returns.
While it’s likely that neither Schröder or Bryant will drastically impact the team’s long-term outlook, their availability should offer some much needed skill-sets and optionality the roster has lacked. Schröder will offer extra ball-handling and shot creation out of the backcourt, and Bryant’s long, sturdy body should help Anthony Davis in the front court. According to Cleaning the Glass, Davis has played 100% of his possessions at center this season.
The duo’s inclusion does also present some difficult rotation choices for Darvin Ham and rest of the coaching staff.
Does the starting lineup see a shakeup given their struggles thus far? How does Russell Westbrook’s role get impacted? What happens to bright spots like Wenyen Gabriel and Max Christie?
These are the types of puzzle pieces Ham will need to carefully put together, and workaround, in his aim in righting the Lakers’ ship. This brings us to today’s episode.
On this week’s edition of Talk-O-Tuesday, hosts Alex Padilla and Alex Regla discussed Schröder and Bryant’s return and share which players they expect to be impacted the most and where the tandem’s presence will be felt most.
Later, the duo recapped the latest trade rumors surrounding the team, including the prospects of Myles Turner heading to another Los Angeles team and Bradley Beal being on the Lakers’ radar.
You can listen to the full episode below, and to make sure you never miss a show, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts.
And for a short-form recap pod, check out Lakers Lowdown, in which Anthony Irwin recaps the previous day’s news and gets you ready for the day ahead in LakerLand, every weekday morning on the Silver Screen & Roll Podcast feed.
Loading comments...