For their contest against the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers will continue to employ a small starting lineup.
The Lakers go back to the LeBron-at-5 and Stanley Johnson-at-4 lineup that is 3-0 as a starting group. The Hawks are healthier for this game than they’ve been — will be interesting to see how the microball Lakers match up with Capela and Collins. pic.twitter.com/UHDECMFAen
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) January 8, 2022
Forward Stanley Johnson is back with the team after signing a second 10-day contract. His defense, energy, activity and size will be key moving forward.
Yet again, LeBron James will start at the 5. Over the past few weeks, he has been on an absolute tear, and even at age 37, he is still arguably the best player in pro basketball.
It will be interesting to see how L.A. manages to limit the Hawks on the offensive glass and ignite its feared transition game with a small lineup, given that the Hawks possess Clint Capela, one of the NBA’s best rebounders.
The Lakers are currently on a three-game winning streak and are starting to regain some momentum after a five-game losing streak in December.
