Lakers rumors: LeBron calls out Ham, Dejounte holdup revealed, potential PG + C upgrade

Lakers rumors: LeBron James gives strong hint to Darvin Ham

The Lakers have been plagued by lineup questions all season. Darvin Ham's inability to commit to a standard opening and closing five has been a source of frustration for players and fans alike. Los Angeles has deployed 13 different starting lineups to date. It's hard to seriously contend with that level of discontinuity. There's a reason the Lakers are 24-23, which barely qualifies for the play-in tournament.

In Saturday's double-OT loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers found extensive success with their starting five from last season — LeBron James, AD, D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Austin Reaves. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best solutions. After the game, when asked about that five-man group specifically, James dropped a rather unambiguous hint for Ham.

"We know where everybody is at. We work well together."

It's clear the Lakers should pick a lineup and stick to it. Probably this lineup. Much can change over the next couple weeks, including a potential point guard trade that shakes up the roster. But, assuming the Lakers stand pat or avoid major transactions, that is the five-man lineup. At least for now.

There is understandable trepidation to start both Russell and Reaves in the backcourt full-time, but the defensive ground coverage of Davis and Vanderbilt can plug holes. As for finding a bench ball-handler, the Lakers can either swing a minor trade or stagger their rotations. Keep one of Russell or Reaves on the court at all times. It's not that hard.

Vando struggled during the Lakers' playoffs run, but he's a world-beater on defense in the regular season. Few players try harder, and sometimes that's all it takes. He's averaging 1.2 steals in 20.5 minutes. The offensive limitations are offset by the shot-creation and shooting between LeBron, Reaves, and Russell. It's a solid setup all around.

We will see if the Lakers render this lineup quandary moot at the trade deadline, but for now, it's clear which starting (and closing) five LeBron prefers.