Report: Frank Vogel plans to play only one of Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan moving forward for Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is making a major change to the team’s rotation going forward.

Vogel revealed that center Dwight Howard will start in Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers and that only one of him or DeAndre Jordan will play in games going forward.

Vogel did not specify whether or not the job is Howard’s to lose, but the fact that he is starting Friday is a positive sign for him for the foreseeable future.

Vogel’s move likely means that the Lakers will play Anthony Davis at center even more during the 2021-22 regular season.

Davis is a matchup nightmare for slower big men, and it’s possible that Vogel plans to exploit that with the team down superstar LeBron James due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

Jordan, who signed with the Lakers this offseason, has started 16 of the 20 games he has appeared in for Los Angeles. It’s surprising that he will go from such a major role to completely out of the rotation at a moment’s notice.

This season, Jordan is averaging 4.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 13.8 minutes per game. He is shooting 70.3 percent from the floor on the 2021-22 season.

The Lakers are currently 12-11, but they have struggled without James in the lineup. Now that James is facing an extended absence, Vogel seems to be looking for answers to energize his team 23 games into the season.

The Lakers and Clippers are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. PST on Friday night.