A month into the season, head coach Luke Walton wanted his team to embrace a
rare stretch of four days without a game.
Walton gave his players two days off to mentally recover before organizing two
especially challenging practices in the lead-up to Monday’s game against the LA
Clippers.
Walton’s biggest decision on Monday will be his choice at starting power
forward.
Larry Nance Jr. is expected to return from a hand fracture that kept him out the
last three weeks. Rookie Kyle Kuzma started in his absence, averaging 18.1
points and establishing himself as the Lakers’ leading scorer.
Walton seemed to lean toward starting Nance on Saturday, but played it more coy
on Sunday.
“(Nance) and Kuz are both so versatile,” Walton said. “It really allows us to
have more options and play with different lineups depending on the way the
game’s going and who we’re matched up against.”
Head Coach Luke Walton talks after a physical day at practice
pic.twitter.com/GqfhMzXzxj
Nance is the more polished defender of the two, while Kuzma is a more
threatening scorer and shooter.
While both have succeeded in the starting five this year, Walton will have to
choose which skill set best serves the opening lineup.
“Larry does all the intangible things, Kuz spaces the floor,” Julius Randle
said. “Whatever happens, we’ll make it work.”
Randle — the second-unit center — called it “a plus either way” to add Nance
or Kuzma to the bench.
Walton acknowledged the difficulties of balancing a loaded frontcourt — with
Nance, Kuzma, Randle, Brook Lopez and Andrew Bogut all receiving minutes.
“Everyone always wants to play more, and they should want to play more,” Walton
said. “It’ll be a challenge as far as guys being unhappy about their minutes.
But it shouldn’t be a challenge as far as what we’re trying to do.”
Julius Randle talks about the return of Larry Nance Jr to practice, and how he
fits back in the lineup pic.twitter.com/AHQv8z6MVm
Player: Kyle Kuzma
Player: Larry Nance Jr.
Media Content: http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/171126-practice-report
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Los Angeles Lakers, Kyle Kuzma, Larry Nance Jr.,
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