There are multiple pressing questions surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers that are still unanswered, much to the chagrin of fans. Perhaps the biggest concern ahead of the new season is which player the Lakers will turn to as the fifth and final starter. As team insider Jovan Buha recently pointed out, there are only four players who are decided starters at this time.
“I believe there are four starting locks: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and Quentin Grimes. I think they need someone who can defend multiple positions, including some of the bigger wings and forwards, someone who can complement Luka and Walker Kessler on the defensive glass … I could make a case for as many as six players: Jake LaRavia, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero and Matisse Thybulle.”
Of those six players who are candidates to win the final starting job, perhaps the two most-considered players among fans and analysts are LaRavia and the newly-signed Williams.
Lakers Expected to Turn to Williams as Final Starter
Williams, along with fellow newcomer Sandro Mamukelashvili, have generated plenty of excitement among fans this offseason, one for his outstanding play for the Georgian national team and the other for allegedly putting on a ton of muscle. While both players have the individual upside, Lakers Nation’s Daniel Starkland believes Williams is the clear option to be inserted into the starting lineup.
“None of the options are perfect, so I would go with Ziaire Williams as he gives the Lakers the best mix of offense and defense,” Starkland said. “Williams is one of the best point-of-attack defenders on the roster and is said to have put on some muscle this offseason, which would help him guard bigger wings as well. In a starting lineup with Doncic and Reaves, someone is going to have to take on those assignments and Williams should be able to handle it. On the offensive end, Williams has improved his jump shot to the point where teams can no longer considers him a liability they can ignore. And as long as that is true and he keeps improving, the 25-year-old may be the best option to round out that starting group.”
Lakers Nation’s Corey Hansford agrees, saying Williams “can be the primary defender on the opposition’s bigger wing” and allows Mamukelashvilil to come off the bench alongside another proven productive reserve in Collin Sexton, another Lakers pick up in free agency.
Can Williams Rise and Shine for L.A.?
Williams has the tools to prove himself as a Laker. The team picked him up for cheap and expects him to considerably out-perform his contract, considering he is only 25 and is coming off the highest scoring season of his career.
Plus, he seems to have the drive to make the most of getting to play for a hopeful championship contender.
“I just thought it was a great opportunity,” Williams said of his decision to join the Lakers in free agency. “Being that big wing, versatile player that they needed, I just thought it was a great opportunity for me to be a Laker. Even if the same team was in New Orleans or Milwaukee, wherever — just the opportunity that was here and the team that they had, I just thought it was the best fit. And then just being back home in L.A. is the cherry on top. Being able to play in front of my family and my friends, and I’m super excited.”
With training camp around the corner, it is looking more unlikely that the Lakers will make another move to shore up the weak points of their roster. That means they are likely to bank on internal help to address the positions of need, and Williams has the opportunity to prove the Lakers never needed to explore another addition after signing him in free agency.
Lakers Expected to Add Exciting 6’9″ SF to Starting Lineup Alongside Luka Doncic